When 13-year-old Daniel Oikhena hid in the tyre compartment of a Lagos-bound Arik plane on August 24, little did he know he was going to become a hero.

However, luck smiled on Daniel after a safe landing and he became the boy of the moment.

Daniel’s mother, Evelyn, had earlier disclosed that her son had wanted to be a pilot.

Since the incident, seeing Daniel now is like forcing the carmel through the eye of a needle.

In fact, the mother said she no longer have free access to her own son. This is so because the state government had taken up the responsibility to ensure that he gets good education.

According to her “It is even difficult for me to see him some times because he is undergoing some training and that is being taken care of by the state government. I no longer have powers over him. It was even recently that I was able to see him.

“They decided to allow me see him because they were preparing him to go back to school. The only thing I can say now is that the father and his people are bothering my life. They think the state government gave me money and, rather than think about the welfare of the boy, they think it is all about money. They have accused me of saying that my husband was sick or was even dead, but I never said all that and God knows”.

“But I thank God for his mercy and that is why it is painful. Instead of the father to be grateful to God that the son survived in that aircraft, all they have been accusing me of, is money from the government. I am just saying it because if anything happens to me, they should be held responsible since they want to kill me for something I know nothing about.


“Right from day one, I have been running up and down about Daniel’s matter, none of them cared about what I went through with my children. My daughters are supposed to have gone back to school now but due to no money, they have not gone back. Their father does not care about that and it is very sad really”.

Meanwhile, Daniel went back to school on Monday, 16 September after he was examined by doctors and a psychologist and was found to be sound. He was accompanied by heavily armed security operatives.

A top official of the school said, unless there was an instruction from the Edo Government House, no one is allowed to talk to him on the matter.

He said, “You know that he is a government son now; so the instruction is to ensure that he is well monitored both for security reason and his education. So it is difficult for anyone to speak with him. The idea is to ensure that he forgets about what happened at the airport and concentrate in his studies and, so far, the boy is doing well.

“We want him to catch up with all he has missed educationally because we understand he was in a private school before but due to no money, he was almost becoming a drop out. Before he enrolled here, we were told that he told government he prefers this school.

“And that is why he was registered here. And if you look at our history, you will know that majority of the great men and women from this state attended this school, so the boy may be in another journey to glory here”.

“It is said that Daniel has joined the league of those referred to as Oshiomhole’s children going by the situation around him. These children are about 20, in different schools, and enjoying sponsorship from the governor.

It was learnt that government officials have been instructed to take care of the children who must enjoy the privileges accrued to governor’s children.”