Business
ARIK AIR OF THIEVES “How Arik Air ‘steals’ from us” — passengers
Published
10 years agoon
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The Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, on Monday said the ministry has arrested three Arik Air staff for stealing fuel from an aircraft.
Making the announcement on his official Facebook page, Chidoka said “the trio of Blessing Dugbe, Samuel Asuquo and Isaac Ajakaiye were arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, during a security patrol operation on Sunday at about around 3 a.m. The trios were stealing Jet A1 fuel from Arik Air plane, with registration number: 5N-MID into six jerry cans for sale at a cheaper price to other unsuspecting airline operators. It’s a development that has the capacity to threaten safety and security of airplanes. Meanwhile, the three (3) suspects were handed over to the Crime Investigation Bureau (CIB), AVSEC MMIA for further action,” Mr. Chidoka said.
He said considering the magnitude of the crime to the security and safety of airplanes, the chief security officer of the Lagos airport has been asked to ensure that the suspects are handed over to the airport police for adequate prosecution.
This is not the first time that Arik staffers are accused of theft. Passengers have often lamented the loss of one item or the other, ranging from iPad, jewelleries, money, clothes to perfumes aboard the airline’s flights.
“Arik Air inflight theft (Flight no. W3 151 @ 0700hr, 24th April, 2014.
“I boarded this Arik Air flight from Abuja to Lagos 16th June, 2012 to connect an international flight. The flight scheduled to depart at 14:25 eventually left just around 15:00, which is a relatively good time considering the fact that delays of over 6 hours are the norm these days.
First off, we couldn’t find where to sit as the cabin crew informed us that it was ‘free sitting.’ I wondered why the order guaranteed with seat allocation was discarded for the chaos of “free sitting.” Most of the passengers were not pleased. During the flight, I read a book and discussed an article I was working on with my friend Azeenarh. She encouraged me to get started with the article already.
At this point I picked up my ipad to write, trying to imagine what happened in the last minutes of the Dana Crash. I had done some 500 words when the pilot announced that we were almost landing and all the routine of sitting upright, putting out electronic equipment meant that I had to stop using the ipad. I put the ipad in the seat pocket right in front of me.
On arrival in Lagos, I helped Azeenarh with her bag which was under the seat in front of her, while others in the usual style rushed to go out. We took our time and eventually alighted from the aircraft. When we got to Allen Avenue, I realised I had left my Ipad in the aircraft. We quickly dashed to the airport and we were fortunate to find out that the aircraft that brought us was still on ground.
We finally met one Lanre who was in charge of complaints as mine – “Lost and Found” is what they call it. “Lost and Gone” would be more apt based on my experience. His friend asked him in Yoruba if he had seen anything and he mumbled something which I didn’t hear. I didn’t like the fact that they were even speaking Yoruba in mumbled voices at this time and I told Azeenarh the comportment of the staff best compares with that of Lagos motor parks.
Lanre went and came back and said “they saw the ipad and put it inside your bag.” Of course that could not have happened. How could you have put an Ipad in my bag when the ipad was not tagged? How did you know which bag to put it in? While we were arguing about this, he left to attend to other passengers who had even more interesting complaints.
Mary Chen as stated earlier had travelled from Lagos to Abuja (Flight W3 155, 11:45 June 12, 2012) to lodge a complaint. She found out that her jewelleries (gold trinkets INCLUDING her wedding ring) inside her jewelry box had been stolen. She had checked this box in and it was obvious someone had found a way to open the bag, steal her jewelleries and left the bag as if nothing had happened. There were other people with complaints of theft as Mary noted when she made her complaint the first time.
Asked about making a report, the Arik Air staff with phone number 08077791490 (the official number for complaints such as mine and Mary’s) said there was no form to fill, there was no superior to talk to, and that just verbally telling him was enough. Essentially there was nothing to document the complaints.
Why should someone who made a report a week after he had lost something just as valuable as my ipad, have his lost good returned to him within minutes of asking and I who made my report within 90 minutes of forgetting my ipad has to force Arik Air to do the needful? Lanre said they found the ipad and put it in my bag; that established the fact that the ipad was at least found. Emirates found the camera and kept it in place for the owner who claimed it on his return journey a week after.
Arik Air found my ipad and claimed they had put it in my bag. The difference is why you can check in your luggage on Emirates airline and connect flights around the world and be sure they can be trusted to take care of even your lost good. With the other, your luggage is in danger on even a flight as short as Lagos – Abuja, even in a locked box like Mary’s.
I will be posting more reports on thefts such as this for now and would give special preference to Arik Air stolen goods reports.
The hashtag on twitter is #ArikAirWhereIsMyIpad”
somehow i forgot i had a pair of scissors in my hand luggage which was spotted during scan.
The attendant requested i drop it before i can board. This wasn’t a big deal but I first had to almost empty my bag just to locate the scissors during which process i place certain items including my samsung camera on the desk. I foolishly let the dude assist me in getting my items back in my bag. That was the last time i saw the camera. It took me till last year to resume flying with Arik as i was seriously pissed.- anonymous
Funny enough while typing this reply, my boss narrated his own experience on how his pouch containing valuables and ID cards was lost when he flew Arik from Port Harcourt to Abuja and all efforts to locate the items proved a abortive”.- anonymous
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Sahara weekly online is published by First Sahara weekly international. contact saharaweekly@yahoo.com
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Alhaji Egungbohun made the call while speaking to Journalists after he was conferred with the Ogun State Institute of Technology, OGITECH, Igbesa fellowship award.
Represented by his spouse, Chief Egungbohun also challenged government to make technical and vocational education more enticing to the youths to solve the challenge of unemployment.
He noted that many developed countries now prioritize vocational and technical education as against issues that are not beneficial to the youths while also saying that the move would make the youth self-reliant.
His words, “It is only through vocational and technical education that the youth can get entrepreneurial knowledge to stand and work on their own. Government should then make it more enticing to the youth. It is the way forward for this country to end this youthful restfulness.”
He commended the Ogun State government for placing high premium on Education and the current revitalisation of technical colleges across the State through the rehabilitation among other interventions.
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7 hours agoon
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ICAN, Union Bank of Nigeria Foster Stronger Relationship with Visit
Lagos, Nigeria—The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) recently paid a courtesy visit to Stallion Plaza, Union Bank of Nigeria’s Head Office. This visit marks a significant step in fostering a stronger relationship between the two esteemed institutions.
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This visit underscores ICAN and Union Bank’s mutual commitment to advancing the accounting profession and contributing to the overall growth of Nigeria’s financial sector.
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