Joy Anyim
Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) has honoured the Air Peace crew that thwarted efforts by two women to traffic a three-month old boy from Lagos to Banjul in June, 2019.
The crew was honoured at the 27th annual lecture/award of the association, which held at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja in Lagos, recently.
According to the president of CRAN, Sunday Odita, the act by the crew was commendable and worthy of emulation by all.
“We are elated as reporters to observe in the course of our duties that some people are doing things worthy of writing home about. When we noted that an Air Peace crew demonstrated commendable professionalism and humanness by frustrating the attempt of two women to traffic a three-month baby-boy on a Lagos-Banjul flight on June 4, 2018, we penned it down as something worthy of reward. Hence, today, I am privileged to fulfill what our members patriotically resolved over a year ago, ” he said.
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The CRAN president commended his members for voting unanimously to bestow the ‘Most Security Conscious Crew Award’ on the Air Peace crew, even when it was tabled before the house repeatedly. This, he added, shows that the honour is well deserved and well thought out.
While calling on people in all walks of life to emulate the uprightness demonstrated by the Air Peace crew, he encouraged the winners to “be proud of the award because it is coming unsolicited from the conscience of the society.”
An elated, Stanley Olisa, Corporate Communications Executive, Air Peace, while thanking members of CRAN, explained that the airline trains its cabin crew to be very security conscious.
He said: “It has proved worthwhile, as the airline had in recent times prevented three acts of child trafficking. Our flight attendants are always security aware and we will continue to partner with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIPS, to report any suspected act of child trafficking.”
Recounting how the incident happened, he said: “One of the flight attendants noticed that a baby was crying endlessly on board and approached the supposed mother, who refused to breastfeed the child. The whole thing became suspicious and on arriving Banjul, the crew alerted the authorities, who questioned the two women. It was subsequently discovered that the child was not theirs and it was obviously a case of child trafficking.”
The crew that received the award were Capt. Isi Eghoghon, Capt. Sinmisola Ajibola and First Officer Ayodeji Bode-Thomas. Also, the cabin crew that were decorated with NAPTIP’s ambassadorial medals included Chioma Agba, Nana De-Man, Cynthia Ugba, Mojoko Ewane, Taiye Abbey, Victoria Okpiaifo and Ngozi Ezeamaka.