NAHCO’s Contradictory Statements Raise Questions Over Drug Convict Case

BY GBOGBOWA GBOWA

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) is facing scrutiny over conflicting accounts surrounding the arrest and conviction of its former staff member, Sunday Adakole Ogwuche, who was recently sentenced to three years in prison for drug trafficking.

Ogwuche, arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful possession and trafficking of 25 kilograms of Ephedrine Hydrochloride, a controlled substance. The Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the forfeiture of ₦15 million proceeds from the illicit deal, with ₦13 million traced to his bank account and the remaining ₦2 million mandated as restitution.

While the conviction appeared straightforward, NAHCO’s public statements have raised eyebrows. In one account, the company claimed its security operatives apprehended Ogwuche for stealing the consignment from its hazardous goods warehouse and handed him over to the Airport Police Command. In another, NAHCO said it relied on CCTV footage to identify the suspect before escalating the matter.

Further complicating the narrative, NAHCO admitted to petitioning the NDLEA and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) after realizing the stolen item was drug-related, despite already handing Ogwuche to the Police. This sequence of events has prompted questions about whether the company sought to bypass police investigation or countermand its authority.

Observers note that NAHCO’s shifting positions — alternating between theft, attempted theft, police handover, and NDLEA involvement — suggest a panicked effort to manage reputational fallout. The company also disputed media reports describing Ogwuche as a “cargo manager,” insisting he was only a junior staff member, a clarification seen by critics as an attempt to minimize institutional responsibility.

Analysts warn that the contradictions could point to deeper lapses in NAHCO’s cargo handling and security systems. The company’s unsettled posture, they argue, risks eroding public confidence in its ability to safeguard hazardous substances at Nigeria’s airports.

Despite the conviction, NAHCO maintains it acted responsibly, stressing that it cooperated fully with enforcement agencies. Yet its contradictory statements continue to fuel speculation that there may be more to the case than Nigerians currently know.