The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO Aviance) has explained how it uncovered, arrested and handed over one of its former junior employees, Mr. Sunday Adakole, to law enforcement authorities after he stole a 25-kilogramme drum of ephedrine hydrochloride from the company’s warehouse at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

Adakole was convicted on December 2, 2025, by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos for stealing and attempting to traffic the controlled substance, which is categorised as dangerous and similar to narcotics such as cocaine and heroin.

A statement to aviation journalists on Thursday by the Assistant General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr Tayo Ajakaye, said that its security officers detected the theft promptly and used its Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) camera surveillance system to trace the missing drum.

The statement clarified that the substance was legally imported into the country by Vitabiotics Nigeria Limited and stored at the company’s Dangerous Goods section pending customs clearance.

The statement also quoted General Manager, External Relations, NAHCO, Mr Ahmed Gulmah, as saying that Adakole stole the item from the restricted warehouse area and attempted to sell it to a local buyer before he was apprehended by its team.

According to him, the NAHCO security officers had arrested Adakole on July 28, 2025, after CCTV footage confirmed he was responsible for the disappearance of one drum of ephedrine hydrochloride.

Gulmah explained that the suspect was immediately handed over to officers of the NAHCO Police Division under the Airport Police Command.

He expressed that the incident was initially treated strictly as a case of theft, but noted that when it became clear that the stolen item was a drug-related chemical, NAHCO escalated the matter to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.

The company said that a formal request for transfer of the case was sent to the NDLEA on August 25, 2025, followed by updates to the National Agency for Food, Drug and Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on August 28.

He insisted that the ground handling company acted with full responsibility and transparency on the issue.

He also debunked the claim that the culprit was a manager within the organisation.

He said: “We first treated this matter as a warehouse theft. Upon establishing that the item was drug-related, NAHCO did the right thing by reporting the matter to the NDLEA.

“Adakole was never a manager. He was a junior staff member who had not attained officer level at the time of the incident.”

The company further criticised sensational reporting on the case, but reaffirmed its commitment to assisting law enforcement agencies.

He emphasised that NAHCO had received commendation from investigators for promptly escalating the case.