The teenager, who hid in the wheel compartment of an Arik Airline Lagos-bound plane from Benin last month, has been in the custody of the Edo State government since he was brought to Benin last week.
The boy, who mostly gave a yes or no answer from where he is being kept in Benin, however, expressed happiness over the scholarship that was awarded him.
He also said that he did not know that he took a risk when he stowaway, saying that he would not do such again.
“I want to go home,” he said, adding, that he was tired and will be happy to train as an engineer.
Daniel, who said he was terrified when he was arrested on arriving Lagos, said he was not maltreated and was given good food.
Asked if he was questioned in Lagos and Benin, the teenager answered in the affirmative and said he was taken to Benin by road with three armed securitymen.
Meanwhile, the Edo State government has secured admission in one of the state’s top secondary schools for 13-year-old Daniel.
The State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, made this disclosure during the visit of Mr George Uriesi, Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other FAAN management team to him at the Government House, Benin City, yesterday.
According to the governor, “without meaning to encourage anyone else, we decided to support him by sending him to one of the top secondary schools in Edo State that is owned by the government. The reason for opting for a boarding school is that we think that there is need to closely watch him which his parents could not do.
“He is an intelligent young man with uncommon challenges, but one that has a vision. We had him examined by people who should know and the result confirmed that he is normal”, Oshiomhole noted.
“This incident was probably the kind of trigger that we needed to improve the facilities at our airports. You are never going to have all the money you need to do all you have to do. You should start from somewhere,” he noted.
Oshiomhole added “it is also a security issue that we do not have any runway security lights at the Benin Airport. It is a security issue because a plane can take off and it is flying to Benin airspace and it has mechanical faults and it cannot land.
“Politically, there could be an emergency in Edo State and the president needed to visit and he cannot land at the airport at night. You cannot spend the kind of money you are spending on remodeling and the little one you have to do is to ice the cake and you have a complete project. You should take this as something more urgent,” he added.
Earlier, Mr Uriesi said they were in Benin City for ground assessment of the stowaway incident which had forced FAAN to review and improve on its security arrangements.
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