Security operatives on Wednesday arrested three ‘drunk’ passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport aboard an Air Peace London/Lagos bound flight.
According to security operatives, the three passengers aboard an Air Peace flight from London were arrested after they engaged in disruptive behaviour that endangered the safety of the flight and its passengers and crew.
Trouble started when two of the individuals identified as Adedigba Adewale and Ashibogu Magnus, who were originally seated in economy class, unlawfully upgraded themselves to the business class cabin and refused multiple directives from the crew to return to their assigned seats.
According to the airline, the unruly passengers were said to have bullied their way through to the business class unauthorised and despite the efforts made by the cabin crew and fellow passengers to de-escalate the situation, the unruly passengers remained defiant, creating a tense atmosphere onboard.
The statement read, “In addition to disregarding crew instructions, the individuals openly consumed a bottle of rum they had brought onboard. The third unruly passenger identified as Iwonze Benjamin joined in the consumption of the rum and became more unruly. This further exacerbated their unruly conduct. Their behaviour raised security and safety concerns among passengers and crew, prompting the captain to make repeated announcements from the cockpit.
“Recognising the potential threat, the flight crew notified security agencies in Nigeria ahead of arrival. Upon landing, law enforcement officials were on the ground to apprehend the individuals who were taken into custody for further investigations.”
While the airline has reiterated its commitment to passengers’ safety and adherence to global aviation standards, it however, emphasised that any form of disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated even as the airline assured the public of its continuous efforts to uphold the highest levels of security and order on all flights.
The airline equally praised its crew for their professionalism in handling this threat to safety in a way that prevented a worse event from occurring.
Authorities are currently investigating the incident, and appropriate legal action is expected to follow.
It would be recalled how an unruly passenger who disrupted an Ibom Air flight recently was arrested and prosecuted in a court of law in the country.
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