A suspected Nigerian stowaway was yesterday found dead on the wheel well, the undercarriage compartment of an Arik Air aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Arik Air engineers were checking the aircraft in preparation for a flight when the body of the stowaway (a man) was discovered in the main wheel well of the aircraft. The discovery was immediately reported to security and regulatory officials at the airport.

It could not be immediately established how the dead man entered the aircraft unnoticed.

Spokesperson for Arik Air, Adebanji Ola, in a statement said even the airline couldn’t tell from which location or airport the man entered the aircraft. “Investigations have commenced to determine where the stowaway actually originated,” Ola said.

“The aircraft has been fumigated by the Port Health authorities while the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities officials are carrying out their investigations,” he added.

It would be the third time in the last three years that Nigerians would stowaway on flights operated by Arik Air, the most remarkable being that of a young boy who successfully stowed away on a Benin –Lagos flight in 2013.

Sunday Sun learnt that men of the Lagos Airport Police Command have evacuated the remains of suspected stowaway discovered in the undercarriage compartment of the Arik Air aircraft (Airbus A345 -500, Reg CS-TFX) and deposited it at an undisclosed mortuary, following due diligence by the relevant Aviation and Security agencies. The Airbus A345 -500 is used by Arik Air to operate the Lagos – Dubai, and Lagos – South African routes.

Spokesperson for The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati told journalists that the agency is currently reviewing footages of the CCTV system and airside security operations with a view to identifying the gaps and personnel failure, if any, in order to take remedial actions following the latest stowaway incidence.

*Adapted from Sunday Sun. Photo shows Arik Air

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