Boy Who Stowed Away In Benin-Lagos Plane Now In University

The Boy who caused uproar eight years ago as a 13-year-old, found in a tyre compartment of a landed Lagos bound airplane from Benin City, Edo state is now in University.

Daniel Ricky Oikhena said he was motivated by adventure and his desire to lift his family from poverty, thinking the flight was going abroad.

Some legal practitioners then said in the eyes of the law the boy could not be charged or prosecuted because he was a juvenile and they described him as one that needed to be trained just like in other developed climes.

With the widespread publicity that the act attracted, state governments like those of Lagos and Osun volunteered to take over his upbringing but his state government, Edo quickly announced a scholarship for Daniel and rehabilitation of his mother who then had lost her salon shop to fire.

Eight years after, Daniel now 21 years old and a 100 level student of Business Administration, Department of Education of the state-owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma expressed mixed feelings when he said he was lacking proper care and that all the expectations from government had not been met although government was responsible for where he is today.

He said “After that, I was brought back to Benin, it was the former governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole who promised he would take care of all my needs, that the government would give me allowance, take care of my school fees, put me in scholarship and that I won’t have any problem, that he will also take care of my mum because during that time, my mum’s shop got burnt.

“He promised to take care of my mum and that everything will be okay for us.   

“States like Osun and Lagos indicated interest in me but I believe they stepped down because of the position of the Edo state government.

“I am very grateful for the scholarship the government gave to me but it is not enough. Things are still very hard for me and my family. “I still need help in any way because things are still very difficult but I remain grateful for the scholarship I am now enjoying, he added