Three passengers were taken into custody at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Wednesday after displaying unruly conduct on an Air Peace flight from London to Lagos.
The incident reportedly began when two passengers identified as Adedigba Adewale and Ashibogu Magnus attempted to sit in business class of the aircraft despite holding economy tickets.
Efforts by crew members to resolve the issue peacefully were unsuccessful as the passengers forced their way into the business class section without authorisation.
An eyewitness reported that the altercations heightened when the passengers who were openly drinking alcohol they had unlawfully brought onto the flight threatened to cause chaos, creating tension among other travellers.
The third unruly passenger identified as Iwonze Benjamin also joined in the consumption of the rum.
Air Peace spokesperson, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, disclosed on Thursday that the flight captain briefly left the cockpit to assess the situation before returning as a precaution.
The flight crew alerted Nigerian security agencies ahead of landing, ensuring law enforcement officials were ready to apprehend the disruptive passengers upon arrival.
“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.
“To the glory of God none of our crew members sustained any form of injury, they only engaged in verbal altercation. It is important to note that at Air Peace our commitment to passenger safety and adherence to global aviation standards is second to none,” he stated
The airline publicist also stated “any form of disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated,” assuring the public of the airline’s continuous efforts to uphold the highest levels of security and order on all flights.
The spokesperson, however, thanked the crew members for their professionalism in handling the incident.
