Bankole refuses pat down by BA


Oyetunji Abioye



Facts emerged on wednesday that British Airways prevented the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dimeji Bankole and his personal Assistanyt, Mr Emmanuel Adgoke, from boarding a flight to London last Friday.
Our crrespondent learnt that bankole and his aide were at the BA boarding gate at Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Ikeja,Lagos when BA security officials aske to search the Speaker's luggage for screening. the speaker was said to have prevented Adegoke from handing over yhe luggage and they subsequently returned to the terminal building and left the airport.

The speaker has, however, reacted to the development, saying he and his aide left the aiport to avoid causing a scene.
It was learnt that the BA Station Manager, identified as Mr. Axvies Ekwem, denied the speaker and his aide entry into the aircraft at about 22.45pm. during the secondary screening of intending passengers to UK.

It was alleged that the speaker had earlier breached a step in the primary screening process carried out by officials of the Federal Airport, Authority of Nigeria. he was alleged to have refused to allow security officials to conduct a pat-down screening on him.
A source said, "After passing through the metal detector machine, the speaker refused FAAN security official called 'AVSEC Aliu' from carrying out the screening on him."
The Federal Federal Government, through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, had ordered 100 percent screening, including pat downs on all outbound passengers. The 100 per centscreening order followed an alleged attempt by a Nigerian, Farouk AbdulMutallab, to bomb a United States airliner over Detroit, Michigan, United states.
Bankole eventually travelled the following day (Saturday) to London aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight. Airport officials, who declined to be named, said the speaker was properlly screened before boarding the flight.
Contacted for comments, BA said in an email, "Due to the Data Protection Act, we are unable to comment on individual customers,aircraft and staff is always our top priority."

But background information obtained on the incident reads, "On August 6, the speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Mr. Bankole dimeji, and his PA, Adegoke Emmanuel, were offloaded prior to boarding BA074 at Lagos Airport.
"They refused to surrender their four pieces of hand luggage to BA security for hand search. The airline's duty manager explained to the speaker that this was a mandatory security check; he still refused and tried to force his way into the aircraft. He was immediately offloaded. Airline and other airpot duty officials including the Captain and London security duty manager were informed. Some customers witnessed the incident."

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Bakare, titled, Why Bankole disembarked from BA flight," reads, "For the record,the British Government exempts securitysearches on Presidents, Vice-presidents and Speakers of national parliaments among other VIPs and British Airways is the national carrier of Britain.
"On Friday night, after all security checks on the speaker's aide that accompanied him, BA's local officials had demanded that the hand luggage of the speaker must be searched, against the rules of British Government and British Aviation Authority (BAA). To avoid ny scene the Speaker cancelled his trip and disembarked from the flight.

It was learnt that the BA Station Manager, identified as Mr. Axvies Ekwem, denied the speaker and his aide entry into the aircraft at about 22.45pm. during the secondary screening of intending passengers to UK

Why should British Airways pat him down when he is covered by immunity?. And the person who kicked him out from the plane is Nigerian for that matter. I may detest Bankole but he was disrespected in this case.

LOL!

Well the last time I checked, British Airways was British and Not nigerian. If dimeji bankole feels so strongly, he should fly arik air, where such stupid exemptions would be granted him.

SO is he also exempt from searching at the immigration in London? Useless ugly man

^lol good point. these people line themselves up to be insulted and get mad when they're insulted.

look at the SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE in nigeria fly british airways. chie.

If the Federal Government has decreed that all outbound passengers should be thoroughly screened, why should Bankole think he is above that law?

And more importantly, why are ordinary Nigerians like Aloy Emeka supporting this pompous fellow just because he's a 'big man'?

^^
We need to buy our man his own jet.
So that all these FAAN buggers will stop trying to grope him.
$100m anyone?

after effect of killing Nigeria airways

texazzpete:

If the Federal Government has decreed that all outbound passengers should be thoroughly screened, why should Bankole think he is above that law?

And more importantly, why are ordinary Nigerians like Aloy Emeka supporting this pompous fellow just because he's a 'big man'?

because it is a slap on our face. Why should they pat down our speaker when he is covered by immunity?. Will Nigeria airways or whatever they are called pat down Nancy Pelosi on her way to Nigeria?

Aloy+Emeka:

because it is a slap on our face. Why should they pat down our speaker when he is covered by immunity?. Will Nigeria airways or whatever they are called pat down Nancy Pelosi on her way to Nigeria?

On the contrary it's a slap in your face for defending people like this when they are obviously robbing you blind!

The people covered by diplomatic immunity in Nigeria are mainly thieves and dishonest men. Do you think the international community doesn't know this? The joke is on you sir/madam. 

is he hiding anything? what is inside the four bags?