daniel ohikhena, the stowaway boy reeling the news.

The boy should be punished

Daniel Ohikhena should be charged to court so as to teach others a lesson. What he did is illegal and a bad signal to other youths like him. How can a 13-year-old do such a thing? This goes to show an act of negligence on the part of the airline and the entire security team at the airport, they are not doing their jobs properly. For a boy to sneak under an airplane without being noticed doesn’t speak well of our security team, they should be punished.  What if the boy was a suicide bomber? With the frequent terrorist attacks going on in the country, such offence should not be taken lightly, the boy should be punished.

—Abiodun Abidoye

He should be charged to court

Ohikhena should be charged under teenager’s law after which the government should put him in a remand home. However, the airline officials should not take this incidence lightly; this should be a warning on their part. I’m very sure, someone else may try this same thing in the nearest future without being caught. To prevent a recurrence, they should tighten their security measures. As the saying goes, once beaten, twice shy.

— Ella Usoro

Arik security officers should be relieved of their duties

The incidence has proven how weak our airport security system is. How could all security channels in the airport be breached so easily? However, I believe that there was either a third party involved or someone was not actively doing his or her job. Despite the fact that the teenager cannot be charged being a minor, the protocol officers who were on duty that day should be interrogated and if necessary relived of their duties.  What if it was a terrorist attack? So many lives would have been lost.

— Okpalogu Kenechukwu

We need a state of emergency

This is the height of desperation when Nigerians would do whatever it takes to leave the country. If a 13-year-old could hide under a plane regardless of the risks involved, it means Nigeria has lost her values. The Federal Government should declare a state of emergency in various dimensions – a state of emergency for parents to identify their children’s prospects early; a state of emergency for school teachers to recognise the abilities of their pupils; a state of emergency for religious organisations to inspire and instruct people in the right way and finally a state of emergency for the Federal Government to understand that the masses are groaning and crying for help even  when we remain silent to the incompetent nature of our leaders.  We must applaud the boy for being a genius, and for his heroic attitude. His action depicts the true nature of a Nigerian; we would do whatever just for survival.

— Adedayo Ajayi

Insecurity is a major problem

This situation is unacceptable and shouldn’t be taken lightly. It has not only exposed the nation’s weakness in the area of security but may also scare away genuine investors who are planning to come into the country. Insecurity has been a huge problem in this country and I feel our leaders are not doing much about this problem. It feels as if we are all living in a state of fear. That aside, I feel the boy should be questioned because he may have been aided by some insiders either in the airline or the airport generally. The boy shows lack of seriousness at his age, I wonder what he would do when he is a man.

—Aderonke Udoji

Question airport security team

It’s a serious national issue and we should all be concerned about it. I ask myself, how did the boy manage to get under the plane without being noticed?  This shows that there is a big problem with our security. The authorities at the airport should also be queried; we can’t continue living in fear. It’s high time we said no to attacks that threaten our safety.

— Toyosi Omole

Fund boy’s education

The boy should be let go, he is a kid – a street kid in search of better life.  According to him, he was running away from the harsh life he was facing at home, we should show sympathy. I doubt if he was telling a lie. The only punishment he deserves is education, so he should be enrolled in a school and the government should be responsible for the fees. I feel the issue of persecuting him is FAAN’s way of distracting us from the embarassing lapse on their part. Arik is also guilty of this lapse. They should feel ashamed of themselves.  What if he was a suicide bomber?

—Olufunbi Falayi

FAAN and Arik should be ashamed

Nigeria is seating on a time bomb. How could such happen at our airport? The airport security team should be ashamed of themselves. It simply means our airplanes are not safe. What if the boy was a Boko Haram member with the mission to bomb the plane? Everyone on that plane would have died. We should all be ashamed of ourselves; a 13-year-old boy beat us hands down. The Director of operation for Arik and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria should be questioned, because passengers are no longer safe either at the airport or in the plane .I’m disappointed with them.

— Damilola Ajayi