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, caused a brief commotion among passengers before aviation security operatives intervened.
The suspect was later deboarded and handed over to the police for investigation.
An eyewitness told reporters that the incident happened around 7:00 a.m. as boarding was being completed.
The foreign passenger reportedly raised the alarm after discovering that his cash, amounting to N290,000, had gone missing from his bag.
According to the witness, the cabin crew quickly began investigating, and another passenger claimed to have seen the suspect handling the foreigner’s bag shortly before the alarm was raised.
The suspect, however, denied the accusation.
As the situation escalated, the crew and security personnel searched the suspect’s hand luggage but found nothing initially. It was later discovered—following a suggestion for a body search—that part of the missing cash had been hidden in the suspect’s socks, while the rest was concealed under his seat.
An airport official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed that the suspect was immediately taken into custody by aviation security officers.
When contacted on Thursday, Ibom Air’s spokesperson, Annie Essienette, confirmed the incident and commended the swift response of the airline’s crew and security personnel.
“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,” Essienette said.
She, however, disclosed that the foreign victim declined to press charges, adding that the suspect may be released as a result.