The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) issued a detailed statement on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, to set the record straight on the recent jailing of former employee Sunday Adakole, who was sentenced on December 2, 2025 by a Federal High Court in Lagos for stealing and trafficking 25 kilograms of Ephedrine Hydrochloride – a controlled substance likened to cocaine and heroin.
NAHCO said its own security officers arrested Adakole on July 28, 2025 after the missing drug was discovered in the company’s “Dangerous Goods” warehouse, where it had been stored pending customs clearance for Vitabiotics Nigeria Limited, the legitimate importer. “It was the Company that arrested the staff and reported a case of theft to the Authorities,” the statement read, emphasizing that the suspect was handed over to the Nigerian Police (Airport Police Command) the same day.
The company explained that after an internal investigation, which included reviewing its “ultra‑modern company‑wide CCTV system,” NAHCO identified Adakole as the culprit and transferred the case to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on August 25, 2025, with a follow‑up update to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on August 28, 2025.
General Manager, External Relations, Ahmed Bashir Gulmah, said: “It should be made abundantly clear that NAHCO first treated this matter as a theft incident in its warehouse, which was why Mr. Adakole was handed over to the Police. Upon establishing that the item was drug‑related, NAHCO did the right thing by reporting the matter to NDLEA.” Gulmah added that Adakole was a junior staff member, never a manager, and was arrested for stealing a legally imported shipment, not for attempting to import or export prohibited materials.
Corporate Communications head Tayo Ajakaye reinforced the company’s stance: “The sensational headlines in many reports on this matter may appear tantalizing. However, the indestructible facts remain that the item was legally imported into the country by a foremost pharmaceutical firm, Vitabiotics. An unscrupulous individual, who because of his association with the Company had access to the warehouse, stole it and attempted to sell it.” He noted that NAHCO “simply arrested him and handed him over to law enforcement authorities who did their job by investigating and prosecuting him.”
NAHCO praised the NDLEA for “bringing a swift closure to the case” and affirmed its commitment to cooperate with all law‑enforcement agencies while carrying out its airport duties. The company also expressed disappointment that some media outlets published the story without seeking its comment first.
The conviction of Adakole on December 2, 2025 marks the conclusion of a case that NAHCO says was initially a straightforward theft, promptly escalated to the appropriate drug‑control authorities once the nature of the stolen goods was confirmed.
