Nigerian Stowaway to US Dies in Plane

January 2, 2004

Nigerian Stowaway to US Dies in Plane 
AllAfrica.com, Africa


A Nigerian was found dead Tuesday night in the wheel well of a British Airways 
plane at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, United Stated 
authorities have said. Discovery of Nigerian currency notes in the 30 - 35 year 
old man and the fact that the plane made a stop over in Nigeria convinced the 
US that he is a Nigerian stowaway. 

It is the second body found in the wheel well of a plane at the airport in less 
than a week, however the body discovered earlier was that of a Jamaican. 

The discovery comes at a time of a heightened terror threat alert level in the 
nation. On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security asked that foreign air 
carriers have armed marshals on some flights in the United States when 
requested. 

However, it has been the plight of many young Nige-rians to escape to other 
countries in an attempt to escape harsh economic realities at home engendered 
by high level official corruption. 

The body was discovered while the aircraft's first officer was conducting a 
routine examination after the plane's arrival from London's Heathrow Airport. 

"The aircraft's first officer was conducting an examination of the plane when 
he was struck by a strong odour coming from the left wheel well," a law 
enforcement official involved in the investigation said. 

"The dead stowaway, a black male between the ages of 30 and 35, was wearing 
shoes and pants with some Nigerian currency in his pants pocket," the official 
said. 

"The plane was in Lagos, Nigeria, on Christmas Eve, and we believe the man 
climbed into the wheel well while it was in Nigeria," he said. 

Jim Peters with the US Federal Aviation Administ-ration said the body was found 
hidden in the wheel well about 7 p.m. ET, was removed immediately and taken to 
the medical examiner's office. 

A British Airways spokes-man confirmed that a body was removed from the wheel 
well of one of the airline's jets, but he declined to provide additional 
information and would not speculate on any possible breach of security. 

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Tony Ciavolella said the 
Boeing 747 flew to JFK from Heathrow as Flight 177. 

The FBI, Port Authority, Queens district attorney's office and Transportation 
Security Administration are conducting a joint investigation, Ciavolella said. 

On Christmas Day, the body of a man was found at JFK on an American Airlines 
flight from Jamaica. 

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