Stowaway boy meets Oshiomhole.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole on Tuesday night received the stowaway teenage boy, Ricky Daniel Oikhena, under tight security in Government House, Benin City. Oikhena, who was ushered in to the governor in the company of the State Security Service (SSS) led by the State Director, Bello Bakori, was released at the weekend by security officials in Lagos to the Edo State Director of SSS. Oshiomhole, in conjunction with the Director of SSS, Bakori and the mother of the boy, Mrs. Evelyn Oikhena, met behind closed doors, probably to ascertain circumstances surrounding Daniel’s adventure.
The outcome of the meeting could not be ascertained as at press time. Speaking with newsmen, Daniel’s father, Osaigbovo Oikhena, 44, who surfaced for the first time on Tuesday since the saga, said he was in Government House to find out whether his son was alive. He expressed thanks to the Almighty God for protecting the life of his son, adding that he was disturbed when he first heard that Daniel was nowhere to be found.
He added that though he and his family were living separately, he was still responsible for the upkeep of the children, who, according to him, were “three boys and one girl, in school and still feeding them”. He stated that he has been living separately from the family due to some misunderstanding he had with his wife. Also, De RAUFs, a volunteer group, which had indicated interest in the welfare of Daniel, was at Government House, Benin City. Represented by Yinka Muyiwa, head of legal team, De RAUFs said it came to Edo State to reaffirm the scholarship it earlier gave the little boy to continue his education up to university level. According to Muyiwa who spoke to journalists, “the boy did not commit any offence and as such should not be detained any longer”. He said, “The boy had to do what he did because the system failed him. There was no crime involved in what he did as far as we are concerned”. Meanwhile, the African network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has commended the Department of State Security for the release of Daniel to the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
According to a release by the Executive Director ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor and made available to newsmen in Benin City on Tuesday, ANEEJ said Daniel’s ability to beat the airport security networks exposes the poor state of the nation aviation sector. According to ANEEJ, President Goodluck Jonathan should see the stowaway incident as a challenge to his transformation agenda in the aviation sector and commended the men and officers of DSS for the sense of maturity in the way they handled the issue. Meanwhile, another boy found in the Benin Airport who attempted stowaway barely two weeks of Daniel Ohikhena stowaway report has been handed over to security agents for questioning. Reacting to this new development, some passengers at the Benin Airport attributed the security lapses at some of the airports to the level of poverty among the people.
Efforts to speak with the Public Affairs Manager of Federal Airport Authority (FAAN), Benin City, failed as she was said to be out on official assignment.



Source: Daily Independent