The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Company, NDDC, Mr. Dan Abia and his police orderly, Corporal Califonia have been accused of beating up Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, NCAA, and Arik Air staff on duty at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja.
The incident according to the NCAA occurred last week at the airport when an NCAA staff, Idris Bashir denied Abia and other passengers from picking up their checkedin luggage on the tarmac and insisted that such luggage should be received at the baggage reclaim area.
NCAA in a statement signed by its Deputy General Manager, Public Affairs, Mr. Sam Adurogboye accused Abia of slapping its Consumer Protection Officer at the airport, Bashir severally for intervening in the crisis between him and an Arik Air staff.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, which recommends minimum safety standards to all member states disagrees with packing up of luggage on the tarmac for safety purpose and actually recommends that all luggage should be picked at the baggage reclaim area of the airports.
Adurogboye stated that earlier, the security detail attached to the NDDC boss, Police Corporal Califonia with service no. 382079 with gun totting descended on Mr. Joseph Nkayuk, an Arik staff at the same Abuja Airport for the same purpose.
Adurgoboye explained that on arrival of Arik Flight W3 258 from Port Harcourt on May 26, 2014, Nkayuk had denied not only the detail but all passengers who wanted to pick up their checked-in bags at the tarmac, insisting that they should proceed to the arrival hall to claim their bags.
According to reports from the regulatory authority, the Arik staff who was following the standard and recommended practices eventually discovered that Abia’s bag had been erroneously reloaded on to another Arik flight by another handler and unfortunately the service had departed.
He added, “Nkayuk therefore went the NDDC boss to explain the mix up and promptly the police orderly pulled out his gun and threatened to shoot while he continuously slap and beat up Joseph.
“In the midst of the pandemonium, the NCAA’s Consumer Protection Officer Idris Bashir, who was on the beat at the time had to intervene and calm frayed nerves. He assured Abia that he would ensure the bag is retrieved.
After investigation, Idris came back to inform the MD that the bag had been mistakenly reloaded to another destination and would soon be brought back and handed over.”
The response he said irked Abia who continuously beat up Bashir.
