What I said on Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines concerning illicit drugs in Nigeria — Dabiri-Erewa

Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, has denied a story credited to her that Egypt Air and Ethiopian Airlines run drug cartels in Nigeria.

Dabiri-Erewa described the story as “a figment of the Reporter’s imagination”.

A statement in Abuja on Thursday by the Media Aide to Dabiri-Erewa, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stated that the headline is totally incorrect and not a true reflection of what she said during the Senate committee public hearing chaired by Senator Kabiru Gaya on Wednesday.

Balogun said Dabiri-Erewa had during the hearing stressed the need for the two airlines to ensure compulsory baggage identification as all cases recorded on issue of drugs had been from both airlines, adding: “Luckily enough, the representative of Ethiopian Air, who was at the public hearing, promised that baggage identification would be strengthened.

“The Senate public hearing was geared towards probing the circumstances surrounding the framing up and eventual arrest of Zainab Aliyu in Saudi Arabia over allegation of carrying tramadol drug in her baggage.
“Members of the public are hereby urged to discountenance previous publication that is contrary to this clarification.”