Father of stowaway boy appears

BY SIMON EBEGBULEM
BENIN CITY — THERE was drama, yesterday, at Edo State Government House, Benin City, when the father of the stowaway teenage boy, Daniel Oikhena, who was said to be bedridden due to illness, surfaced during a meeting between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the family.

This came as theDepartment of State Services, DSS, yesterday, handed over Daniel to the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development but denied the mother, Mrs. Evelyn Oikhena, access to her son.

[caption id="attachment_410831" align="alignnone" width="412"] Daniel Oikhena[/caption]

Mr. Osaigbovo  Oikhena, 44, a driver by profession, told journalists that contrary to reports that he was sick and bed-ridden, he was living separately from the family due to a disagreement with his wife.

He said his wife refused to stay in the house where he could afford the rent. Therefore, he decided to move out of the house a year ago to where he could afford the rent.

He said: “I decided to come here today (yesterday) to tell the world that I am the father of Daniel. Initially, when I heard the news, I thought my son was kidnapped. But my wife said I should calm down that when everything is okay, she will call me.

My wife refused to  move in with me

“I never dreamt of going to America, I am not married to another woman. My wife refused to give the DSS my number when they asked for it.

"Arising from my loss of job, I decided to move to a new apartment where I can afford the rent and told my wife that they should move in with me, but she refused and continued to stay in the three-bedroom flat on 7, Ehigiagbe Street, Ekenwan, Benin City.”

Mr Osaigbovo who said he resides at Siluko Road, noted: “I usually  pay my children's school fees and provide feeding money regularly, contrary to claims that I abandoned my family.”

He  accused the wife of making it look as if he was dead by denying people access to him.

Meanwhile, 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 lad to continue his education up to university level.

DSS releases stowaway kid to Edo govt

The 13-year-old Oikhena has been in the custody of DSS in Lagos before he was released to the Edo State Government, yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Oikhena, the mother of Daniel, has confirmed the return of her son to Benin.

She told newsmen in Benin that she got a call, yesterday, inviting her to the state Ministry of Women of Affairs.

She said: “I went to the office and was told that my child had been taken to DSS.  I went there and saw Daniel. They  did not allow me to touch or greet him, but he was looking good.”

She said after a short session with DSS, she was asked to go and wait at the Ministry of Women Affairs.

STOWAWAY SAGA: Teenage boy wanted to fulfill ambition to go to America - Mum

By Simon Ebegbulem, Benin-City

*The quarrel with sister moments before risky action

*Why he survived inside aircraft’s wheel — Expert

Madam Evelyn Ohikhena, like many other Nigerians, was shocked when she was informed by her sister in-law in Germany, that her son, Daniel, stowed from Benin-City to Lagos via an Arik flight  penultimate Saturday. Before the call from the sister who read the story online on Sunday morning, Madam Oikhena had gone to the police station to report a case of missing person.

The mother, a saloonist with four children, was invited, on Tuesday, by officials of the Department of State Security (DSS). She narrated her ordeal to Sunday Vanguard thereafter. “My son’s name is Ricky Daniel. He answers one name in school and another one at home. He is in JSS 1. Before now, he was in a private school Young Scholars, but, because I could not afford his school fees when my saloon got burnt, I now took him to Ogbe Secondary School to continue his third term”, she said. She continued, “My sister- in-law in Germany, who was unaware that we were looking for him, called to alert me of the development.

She got the news via internet. I think she said she read it in Vanguard. She was the one who told me Ricky was in Lagos, that he broke  airport security and entered the wheel of the plane heading to Lagos. Soon after she called, my attention was drawn to newspapers by sympathizers and family friends. I rushed to Ring Road where I bought a  newspaper and thereafter I went to the police station to report the matter. He was not used to leaving home”. According to her, the police initially did not believe her story as they said “I did not know who I was looking for.”

[caption id="attachment_410831" align="alignnone" width="412"] *The apprehended teenager who stowed from Benin.[/caption]

Narrating how the boy left home without being stopped, Mrs Ohikhena said, “I left home around 9pm on Friday for the house of my elder sister who gave birth to pass the night. When I came back the following morning, my daughter told me that she and her brother-the stowed boy- had an argument , that she found him watching film when she woke up to ease herself and that he broke the television set.

The sister explained that my mum-their grandmother-  settled the quarrel but when she woke up in the morning, she could not find him”. Debunking the claim by the teenage boy that he left the house because he was being maltreated, Madam Ohikhena said, “ I did not maltreat him, but I don’t play with him . And I don’t joke with my children’s education. I give them the best  of education.

Everybody knows me, go and ask about me in Oba Market. When we commenced the search for him, his nine year-old younger brother told me that each time they were watching film, he always said he will go abroad, that he will go to the airport to enter plane. He told me to go and check the airport. I did not believe him. He does not have friends, he hardly leaves home. My son thought he was going to America. My only joy now is that he is alive”.

The stowaway saga began penultimate Saturday when the pilot of the Arik plane, about to take from Benin-City enroute Lagos, claimed to have seen Daniel and informed the control tower which promised that security agents will apprehend the boy. The stowaway teenager, however, successfully entered the nose wheel of the aircraft. He was found when the plane arrived Lagos by officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). His survival in the aircraft wheel well was surprising too because most stowaways face numerous health risks.

From statistics, from 1947 to September 2012, there were 96 stowaway attempts worldwide in wheel wells of 85 separate flights, which resulted in 73 deaths. An aviation expert, David Learmont, suggested that no one would be willing to risk such journey, adding that stowaways who survive usually traveled relatively short distances or at low altitude. He also attributed why stowaways are prevalent in Africa to the poor perimeter security in several airports.