Passenger slaps airport worker trying to plant drugs in his bag

A passenger at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos is seen in a now viral video slapping a member of staff of Pathfinder Company.

It was gathered that the Pathfinder staff was apprehended in the process of hiding what was believed to be drugs into the passenger’s luggage.

His act was captured by the passenger with a hidden camera, after which he confronted him.

In the now viral video being circulated across social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter), the man was seen kneeling before another man (passenger) as passersby looked on.

“Tell me the f***ing content of this drug,” the passenger said as he slapped the man.

Reacting to the incident, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), said that the man captured in the viral video is not a staff of the agency.
According to a statement issued by FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, the agency confirmed that the incident occurred at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Tuesday at about 2:30 p.m.

The statement said, “The Authority wishes to set the records straight by stating that the officer being manhandled in the video is not a staff of FAAN”.

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FAAN said the culprit has been identified as a member of the staff of Pathfinder, a private company. However, his name was not mentioned in the statement.

FAAN said that “the employee was said to have approached a passenger to help him convey a parcel through the flight. When the passenger became sceptical, he raised an alarm, alleging that he was being set up for drug trafficking.”

According to the statement, the employee was immediately arrested for questioning by the Crime Investigation and Intelligence Unit of the Aviation Security Services.

The agency also noted that the passenger involved has since departed on Ibom Air to Accra while the medication identified as “New Age Glucosamine Chondroitin Sulfate Complex” has been taken to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.

“FAAN is dedicated to a drug-free society and has zero tolerance to drug peddling through her airports,” the statement noted.

Pathfinder is a concession/private company that works with airlines in the airport. The company has yet to comment on the matter.

The video generated reactions from many Nigerians who expressed concerns that many innocent citizens have been wrongly accused of drug trafficking through such acts. They also urged the authorities to investigate the matter properly to curb future occurrences.

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