2 Arik Air Staff Caught With Cocaine In UK

pmnews-placeholder

Two members of staff of Nigerian largest airline, Arik Air, have been arrested at Heathrow airport in London for drug trafficking, Nigeria’s anti-drug agency boss, Ahmadu Giade confirmed on Tuesday.

Spokesperson of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, said the agency has opened an investigation as it constitutes a national embarrassment.

“We are aware of the arrest and we have opened an investigation,” Ofoyeju said.

Sources told our correspondent early today that the two Arik Air staff were arrested for cocaine.

They left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, on Tuesday morning and arrived Heathrow about six hours later, the source said.

Related News

Banji Ola, Arik Air spokesperson said he did not have details.

Ola did not know when the plane left Lagos and did not even know the name of the cabin crew involved.

In December 2011, Ms. Chinwendu Uwakaonyenma Ogbonnaya, 29, a cabin crew with Arik Air was also arrested in London for drug trafficking. She was jailed for five years last year.

Arik Air is Nigeria’s largest airline and the crew members recently warned they may embark on strike after their allowances were heavily reduced.

—Simon Ateba

Load more