Ken Okeke
Security operatives have apprehended three passengers who engaged in unruly behavior on Air Peace’s flight from London.
They were picked up on Wednesday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Their disruptive actions were said to have threatened the safety of the flight, passengers and crew.
Aside from that, the individuals openly consumed a bottle of rum they had brought onboard, an act described as serious airport security breach.
The airline said security and relevant authorities are currently investigating the incident and appropriate legal action is expected to follow.
Spokesperson of Air Peace and Head, Corporate Communications, Dr.Ejike Ndiulo disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
According to him, the incident occurred during flight when two of the individuals identified as : Adedigba Adewale and Ashibogu Magnus, originally seated in Economy Class, unlawfully occupied seats in the Business Class cabin and refused multiple directives from the crew to return to their assigned seats.
He said the passengers bullied their way through to the business class unauthorised.
Despite efforts to de-escalate the situation, the unruly passengers remained defiant, creating a tense atmosphere onboard.
The third unruly passenger identified as : Iwonze Benjamin joined in the consumption of the rum exhibiting very unruly behaviour.
He said :” This furthermore 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.
‘Recognizing 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.
“Air Peace has reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and adherence to global aviation standards. The airline emphasized that any form of disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated and assured the public of its continuous efforts to uphold the highest levels of security and order on all flights.
“Air Peace praised its crew for their professionalism in handling this threat to safety in a way that prevented a worse event from occurring.