Arik Stowaway, Daniel Ohikhena : “I Am Tired, I Want To Go Home"

Ricky Daniel Ohikhena the stowaway teenager, who,
on 24th of August, this year hid in a wheel well of an
Arik Air craft from Benin to Lagos, has said he did
was not aware that he took a risk when he did that,
promising not to do it again.
“I regret it. I want to go home, I am tired.” On his
dream, the boy said: “I will be happy to train as an
engineer.”
The young Ohikhena, had since his return from Lagos
two weeks ago, been held up in a building in the
company of security personnel in the Government
House, Benin City.
Speaking to journalists, the apparently home-sick boy
requested that he should be allowed to go home with
his mother to enable him resume school.
Master Ohikhena said he was happy with the award of
scholarship to him by De Rauf Foundation and Edo
state Government.
He said he was terrified when he was arrested on
arrival in Lagos from Benin, adding that he was not
maltreated but given good food where he was kept.
He told journalists that he was questioned in Lagos
and in Benin, revealing that he returned to Benin by
road with three armed security men.
He said that on the return trip to Benin and even at
his present location, he was being treated well with
“good food,” but that since school has resumed, he
would want to go home.
Meanwhile, Master Ohikhena has secured admission in
one of the state’s top secondary schools for 13-year-
old Daniel Ohikhena by the Edo state Government.
The State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole made this
disclosure during the visit of Federal Airports Authority
of Nigeria (FAAN) Managing Director Mr George Uriesi
and other FAAN Management team to him at the
Government House, Benin City, yesterday.
According to the Governor, “without meaning to
encourage anyone else, we decided to support him by
sending him to one of the top secondary schools in
Edo State that is owned by the Government. The
reason for opting for a boarding school is that we
think that there is need to closely watch him which
his parents could not do.
“He is an intelligent young man with uncommon
challenges, but one that has a vision. We had him
examined by people who should know and the result
confirmed that he is normal.
“This incident was probably the kind of trigger that we
needed to improve the facilities at our Airports. You
are never going to have all the money you need to do
all you have to do. You should start from
somewhere,” he noted.
Oshiomhole added: “It is also a security issue that we
do not have any runway security lights at the Benin
Airport.”