Attack on airline: Suspect targeted five Americans, top politicians

Strong indications have emerged that the suspected terrorist who drove a car into Margret Ekpo International Airport's tarmac, Calabar, and hit the underbelly of a parked aircraft belonging to Arik Airline on Wednesday might have targeted the five Americans and top politicians on board the aircraft.



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Investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH revealed that the suspect, Mr. Aniefiok Elijah Okon, from Akwa-Ibom State might have been on a sponsored suicide mission to either embarrass the airline or the country.

Apart from the five Americans, top politicians including the Chairman, Cross River State Forestry Commission and former governorship aspirant in the state, Mr. Odinga Odinga, were on board the plane.

It was gathered from the police that the manner in which the suspect carried out the aborted attack gave confirmation that he was handed down clear instructions and details of his target by his alleged sponsors.

The police in Calabar, Cross River State, disclosed to our correspondent that they were working on a theory that the suspect was engaged in a sponsored mission, adding that thorough investigation was ongoing to unmask the sponsors of the futile attempt.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Etim Dickson, refused to speak on the matter, claiming he was on inspection tour of police formations in the state with the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, when the incident occurred. A top police officer said investigation was in progress.

However, another police source who craved anonymity said that two Air Force officers who were on duty when the incident occurred had been recalled to their base for interrogation.

Referring to the incident as a security breach, he wondered why the security operatives could not stop the suspect before he got to the tarmac.

He said, "I can assure you that we are doing everything possible to get to the root of this matter. It is a serious security breach and all those involved in it must be fished out and punished. There were five Americans and top politicians on board that plane and we are working on the theory that the futile attack was targeted at them. It was a suicide mission."

The suspect, who is being interrogated at the Criminal Investigation Department of the police command, he added, had been feigning madness.

He said: "Because the attack was not successful, his behaviour at this preliminary stage of our interrogation was expected. We know he is just feigning madness. We know he is just acting a script. He will eventually tell us the truth. The earlier he tells us the truth, the better for him because we must get to the bottom of this matter.

"No madman could have done what he did. He drove a car crashing through two security gates and headed straight for a boarded aircraft. In the process, he even did a U-turn and squeezed the car underbelly and now he is claiming to be mad. We cannot be deceived."

He added that the management of the airline had premonition of the attack but did not expect it to occur in Calabar.

He said the airline confirmed it had received several threats of possible attack on its aircraft by unknown persons, but that it did not expect the attack to occur in Calabar.

But the Arik Media Officer, Mr. Banji Ola, who spoke to our correspondent on Friday, denied the claim.

He frowned on the insinuation saying, "how can we have premonition of such a dastardly act. It is not true."

On Wednesday, tragedy was averted when a lone occupant of Audi NA 234 KAM breached security at the airport by breaking two gates manned by officials of the Nigerian Air Force and gaining access to the tarmac.

Okon who had driven a distance of about 500m in the tarmac unchallenged, headed for the left wing of Boeing 5N-MJJ aircraft, but made a U-turn and buried the car underbelly.

Despite the impact, the suspect had remained in the car probably waiting for possible explosion until airport security operatives dragged him out of the scene.

But Okon who has been described as a Christian extremist, instead of showing remorse for his action, had rained abuses on everybody at the airport.

He had repeatedly said, "You are all sinners. All of you deserve to die because mankind is turning away from God. People in the world are turning away from God. Every human being is wicked and deserved to go to hell except you repent."

The impact of the car on the 95-passenger aircraft which was about taxing down to the runway for take-off had sent jitters into the spines of the passengers who immediately jostled down for safety.