Pathfinder International, a security company in the Nigerian aviation industry and Africa, has suspended the staff that attempted to dispatch medication out of the country through a passenger.
The company also confirmed the name of the medication to be Glucosamine Chondroitin.
Pathfinder said it decided to suspend the erring staff because it does not tolerate indiscipline in its operations, but said the investigation was still ongoing.
A statement by Fred Omosebi, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Pathfinder Company, confirmed the suspension of the staff to journalists.
The staff (names withheld) had attempted to send out the drug to Accra, Ghana, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and approached a passenger who was travelling to the West Coast country through one of the airlines on the route.
Omosebi further stated that the staff in question had been withdrawn from all its operations, pending the outcome of the investigation.
The company, however, kicked against the mode of attempted transportation of the medication, saying it negated its policy and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
Omosebi explained that the identity of the staff in the viral video was confirmed after investigating the viral video.
The statement said: “Upon investigation, we discovered that the person in question is one of our staff members who stated he was assisting a family member in sending his medication to Accra. The medication is glucosamine chondroitin, which has been confirmed by the NDLEA not to be a prohibited drug in Nigeria.
“The mode of transportation is, however, totally against Pathfinders policy and Standard Operating Procedure, and we condemn it in the strongest terms. Even as the investigation continues, the staff involved has been withdrawn from all Pathfinders operations pending the outcome of the investigation.
“We wish to reiterate that the action of the staff is not in tandem with the operational policies and procedures of Pathfinders International as enshrined in our security programme and practice.”
Pathfinders International is the first indigenous aviation services company in Nigeria and has over three decades of experience in the sector.
The company has grown to an enviable height in not just aviation security but also in aviation services and security.
It has also consistently maintained a high level of professionalism and integrity in its operations while keeping to its mission and vision statement.
Apart from Nigeria, the company also operates in other African countries.
