Teenage stowaway’s father speaks, I didn’t abandon him!

Two weeks after his son flew from Benin City to Lagos in the wheel compartment of an aircraft belonging to Arik Air, Daniel Ohikhenas father denies claims that he abandoned his family.

Osaigbovo Ohikhena

Little is known about Daniel Ohikhena, the 13-year-old stowaway who flew from Benin City to Lagos in the wheel compartment of a plane belonging to Arik Air, by his schoolmates at Ogbe Junior Secondary School in the Edo State capital.

Shortly before his celebrated escapade, Daniels mother, Mrs. Evelyn Ohikhena, had withdrawn him from a private secondary school for want of money to pay his tuition fees. She had enrolled him in OJSS, which was about 500 metres from her residence.

Investigation by our correspondent shows that the teenager had spent only a term in his new school before embarking on the dangerous adventure. A source said, on condition of anonymity, that Daniel joined the school, popularly known as Ezoti Junior just before the end of the third term.

A youth named Festus, who also resides in the same neighbourhood as the stowaway boy, said the latter was not popular in the area.

We hardly know him. It was recently that we heard he lives in the neighborhood  I have not seen much of him. He was very quiet at school. I have not known him for long, he said.

However, events took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when the boys father, Osaigbovo Ohikhena, 44, materialized as if from nowhere. Earlier, his wife (Daniels mother) had claimed that they did not live together.

Mr. Ohikhena, who is a driver by profession, said he had been separated from his family for a year because of a misunderstanding between him and Daniels mum. But he denied the latter's claim that he abandoned his family.

"I always pay my children school fees and provide money for their feeding regularly, contrary to claims that I abandoned my family. After I lost my job, I decided to move to a cheaper apartment and told my wife that they should move in with me. But she refused and continued to stay in the three-bedroom flat. My new residence is located on Siluko Road. I decided to come here (Government House) to tell the world that I am the father of Daniel".






Story culled from Punch