"The Metropolitan Police were informed yesterday at 12.40 p.m. of the suspected abduction of Mr. Umaru Dikko, a Nigerian living in this country, who was formerly a member of the Government of Nigeria. The call to the police by his personal assistant, Miss Elizabeth Hayes, said that at about 12.25 p.m. he had been taken in a van after a struggle.
"Because of the possibility that attempts might be made to remove him from this country a special 520 watch was mounted at ports. As a result, suspicions were aroused by two large crates which arrived at about 4 p.m. at Stansted to be loaded on to a Nigerian Airways cargo aircraft. The crates were not diplomatic bags as defined by the Vienna Convention. The crates were accordingly opened. I understand that members of the High Commission were already at Stansted and a Mr. Idet was invited to inspect the crates. Two people were found in each crate. One crate contained Mr. Dikko, who was unconscious, and another man, who was conscious and in possession of drugs and syringes. The other crate contained two men, both conscious. Mr. Dikko is now recovering satisfactorily under police guard in hospital and will be questioned as soon as he is well enough. A total of 17 people, including the remaining three found in the crates, were arrested by the police and are being questioned. None of those arrested has claimed diplomatic immunity,
"My right honourable friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary summoned the High Commissioner for Nigeria to see him at 9 a.m. this morning and told him that he took a most serious view of the incident. The High Commissioner undertook to convey a report of the meeting to his Government. He denied any High Commission or Nigerian Government involvement in the incident. The Foreign Secretary said he expected the fullest co-operation from the Nigerian High Commissioner, including the waiver of diplomatic immunity, if that were necessary for the purpose of ensuring justice."