A male passenger was on Wednesday arrested onboard an Ibom Air flight for allegedly stealing N290,000 from a foreign national’s luggage kept in the aircraft’s overhead compartment.
The incident, which occurred before the flight’s departure from Lagos to Abuja, reportedly caused a commotion that required the swift intervention of Aviation Security officers to restore order.
The suspect was subsequently deboarded and handed over to the police.
An eyewitness said the incident happened around 7:00 a.m. as boarding was being finalised. According to NAIJAONPOINT , the foreign passenger raised an alarm after discovering that N290,000 in cash was missing from his bag, which had been placed in the overhead compartment.
Cabin crew members promptly intervened, and another passenger claimed to have seen a man handling the foreigner’s bag moments earlier. The suspect, however, denied the allegation.
As tension rose, the cabin crew and security personnel conducted a search of the suspect’s hand luggage, but the missing cash was not immediately found.
An airport staff member, who requested anonymity, said part of the money was later discovered hidden in the suspect’s socks, while the rest was found concealed beneath his seat following a body search.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for Ibom Air, Annie Essienette, said the suspect was handed over to the police after the timely intervention 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.”