The Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Friday vowed to ensure Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest private airline following the arrest of two air crew members over drug related offences in London.
One crew member, a female staff with the name, Temitayo Olubunmi Daramola, was found in possession of six kilogramme of cocaine worth about N180 million while the other, Delita Abibimgbi, was found with 60 packets of cigarettes. They were arrested on Tuesday, but Abibimgbi was later released while Daramola was detained in the United Kingdom.
The NDLEA said it was going to take advantage of its laws in punishing Arik air and other airlines that allow their planes to be used for drug trafficking.
Speaking for the NDLEA on Friday, Mitchell Ofoyeju, the agency’s spokesman, said one of the Arik staff had been released to the NDLEA and that she was already helping the agency in its investigation into the issue.
Even though the statement did not state what punishment would be meted out to the airline, the agency’s Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, was quoted to have said: “the crew member, who was reportedly found with 6kg of substance suspected to be cocaine, is still being quizzed in London.
“It shall be the duty of every commercial carrier to take reasonable precaution to ensure that its means of transport are not used in the commission of offences under this Act. They are to comply with appropriate security measures at points of entry and exit in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other customs control areas, to prevent unauthorised cargo in its means of transportation,” just as he stressed that section 25 of the NDLEA Act outlined the responsibilities of airlines.
Spokesperson for the airline, Banji Ola, confirmed the release of one of the staff.
The Arik Air flight had left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Monday with ten cabin members and according to NDLEA, eight out of the ten crew members that travelled with the flight were cleared while the remaining two were held in London. This led the Giade to order an investigation.
