Police drags unruly air passengers to court

The Nigerian police have dragged three Air Peace passengers before a magistrate court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State after being accused of unruly behaviours on the airline’s London-Lagos flight.

The defendants were last week handed over to the police by airport security.

The airline’s spokesman, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, stressed in a statement on Monday that the court adjourned the case until March 3, 2025, on Friday.

The accused passengers, according to the statement, are Adewale Adedigba (52), Magnis Ashibuogwu (50), and Iwunze Benjamin (30).

According to the police, the defendants disrupted the flight by shouting at the top of their voices, causing panic and public disturbance among passengers and crew.

The police said their actions were deemed a breach of public peace under Section 168(1)(d) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The suspects were further accused of “unlawfully” moving from their “originally assigned economy class seats to the business class section without authorisation.”

This conduct, which violated Section 4(1)(a)(b) of the FAAN Bye-Law 2005, prompted swift intervention from the airline staff, who reported the incident upon landing at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, the statement read.

Following their arrest by airport security and handed over to the police, the passengers were formally charged under the jurisdiction of the Airport Command.

The prosecution, led by Oladipupo Taiwo, pressed for strict adherence to aviation laws to deter similar incidents in the future.

Ndiulo, in his statement, stated, “During the court session, the defendants’ plea was not immediately recorded, leading the magistrate to adjourn the case to March 3, 2025, for hearing.

“The delay allows both the prosecution and defense to prepare their arguments, with potential penalties including fines or imprisonment if the defendants are found guilty.”

The airline explained that this case underscored the growing need for stricter enforcement of in-flight conduct regulations in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

It added that the upcoming hearing would determine the fate of the accused and set a precedent for future cases involving disruptive behaviour on flights.