There was a brief scene of chaos aboard an Ibom Air flight on Wednesday when Aviation Security officers apprehended a male passenger accused of stealing N290,000 from a foreign traveller’s luggage in the aircraft’s overhead compartment.
The suspect was immediately handed over to the police.
The incident happened before takeoff from Lagos to Abuja and reportedly triggered a commotion that prompted swift action from both the cabin crew and airport security to restore calm.
The suspect was later escorted off the plane and taken into custody.
An eyewitness, who was among the passengers, recounted that the drama unfolded around 7:00 a.m. as boarding was being completed.
The foreign passenger allegedly raised an alarm after noticing that N290,000 cash had gone missing from his bag stored in the overhead locker.
According to the witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the flight attendants quickly stepped in to investigate.
Another passenger then claimed to have seen a man tampering with the foreigner’s bag shortly before the alarm was raised. The accused, however, denied any involvement.
As tension escalated, the foreign passenger insisted that the stolen amount was N290,000. The suspect’s carry-on luggage was searched but the money was not found at first.
An airport staff member, who also requested anonymity as he was not authorised to comment, said the missing cash was later recovered following a suggestion from another observant passenger that a body search be conducted.
He revealed that part of the money was discovered hidden in the suspect’s socks, while the remaining amount was tucked beneath his seat.
When contacted on Thursday, Ibom Air’s spokesperson, Annie Essienette, confirmed the development, commending the swift response of the crew and security operatives.
She said, “Yes, the incident is true, and the timely intervention of both the crew and security operatives helped to restore calm immediately. The suspect was handed over to the police. However, the victim is not interested in pressing charges, so the suspect may be released.”
