- A staff of Arik Air has told the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency investigators how members of staff of the airline smuggle illicit drugs aboard flights.
- Oliver Chibuzor, a catering loader at the airline who has been arrested by NDLEA officials, said they subvert airport security checks by concealing cocaine in catering supplies.
- On Monday, Chika Udensi, a senior member of the Arik Air cabin crew‎, was arrested by UK Border Force officials with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine at Heathrow Airport in London.
- “Whenever Chika gives me the drug, I will hide it in catering supplies. Chika knows where to collect the drug inside the flight,” ‎the agency quoted Mr. Chibuzor as stating during interrogation by investigators.
- “They pay me N400, 000 per bag. I was expecting N1.2 million for the three bags that I smuggled into the aircraft,” he said.
- The anti-narcotics agency said that preliminary investigation revealed that both Messrs Udensi and Chibuzor had been infiltrated by a suspected drug cartel.
- Mr. Chibuzor, who hails from Isiala Ngwa North local government of Abia State, is a graduate of Business Administration and was employed by Arik Air in 2009, according to the NDLEA.
