Nigerian worked 20 years with dead American’s identity

Posted by admin American Politics, Headlines Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

A Nigerian, Olumuyiwa Oyewole, has been arrested in the United States for allegedly using the identity of a New York City man, who was murdered 20 years ago, to work as a security supervisor at a New Jersey airport.

Oyewole, 54, an illegal immigrant, was arrested on Monday at his home in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

His co-workers knew him as Jerry Thomas, a man who was murdered in New York City in 1992, the same year Oyewole allegedly assumed his name when he started working at the airport. It wasn’t immediately clear how Thomas’ personal information was acquired.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Oyewole had worked at Newark Liberty International Airport for about 20 years and had passed background checks.

Oyewole allegedly had all the documents he needed, including a birth certificate and a social security card.

He had worked under several contractors at the airport, most recently FJC Security Services.

A message left Monday on Oyewole’s home phone was not immediately returned, and the Port Authority said it wasn’t sure if he had retained an attorney.

FJC Security, which received an airport contract in 2003, said it conducted a background check on the guard as had New Jersey state police and US Customs and Border Protection.

FJC spokesman Michael McKeon said, “In all cases, he passed the background checks.

“During his time with FJC, he had nothing in his record or his performance to indicate a cause for concern or a reason to question the state police and federal government’s background checks.”

NorthJersey.com reported that the suspect supervised over 30 security guards and was allowed access to secure areas.

Authorities told the website that it appears he was using the bogus identity so that he could stay in the US.

While it doesn’t appear that the arrest is terrorism-related, the arrest exposes a disastrous lapse in airport security.

-Punchwp_posts