What's New In W. Africa (Nigeria)

[heliroger]

Be sure you land at the right place...
BRITISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL IMPOUNDS HELICOPTER
Officials of British International School, Lagos, have seized a helicopter owned by City Link Aviation, a Ghanaian based helicopter charter service, which made an unauthorised landing in the school premises on Friday.

The school authorities had allegedly demanded that the pilot pay them the sum of $100, 000 (N11.7m).

The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren, confirmed the development, but stated that it had been resolved.

He, however, confirmed that the aircraft was yet to be released by the school authorities.

He said, “Yes, it happened. The helicopter landed in a wrong place and the school is holding to the helicopter after the State Security Service and the NCAA cleared the chopper. Everything is being resolved”.

A member of the board of governors of the school, Mr. Segun Oniru, declined comment on the issue, on the ground that he was not around when the incident occurred.

“I do not want to comment because I do not have the details”, he said.

The helicopter, flown by Captain William Iyoho, was to take Nigerian singer, Sasha, from Cadbury Nigeria Plc’s premises to the University of Lagos and Shoprite, Lekki. Iyoho could not land in the area because there was a lot of construction work going on. He opted to land in the school premises instead.

He was waiting for the musician when he was approached by two security guards who told him that he had landed on private property and should leave.

However, as he was about to takeoff, he was accosted by the principal of the school who told him that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, the State Security Service and the Nigeria Police Force had been notified. The principal insisted that the security agencies had to check the aircraft before it could be cleared to take off.

According to Iyoho, an assistant director of the SSS who came at about 3pm, inspected the helicopter and proclaimed it clean. The SSS official told the pilot to come with him to the SSS office at Shangisha to make a statement since the school had lodged a complaint over the landing.

He added that he received permission from the NCAA to take off after giving his statement to the SSS but he was not allowed to take off by the school authorities who demanded for a sum of $100, 000.

Hmmmm.I can see the British are learning the act of kidnapping and hostage taking in Nigeria.
It's quite a sad one here cos if the reverse was the case,BBC World would have reported itas "Helicopter Hijacked in Nigeria by Militants".so who's the militant here???