- Ibom Air spokesperson, Aniekan Essienette, confirmed the theft in a statement
- The suspect allegedly stole the laptop from another passenger’s bag in the overhead cabin
- The arrest was made after the incident was reported by the airline
In Lagos, a Nigerian passenger, identified as David Ogeneochuko, was arrested for allegedly stealing a laptop from another passenger’s bag inside an Ibom Air aircraft. The incident occurred during the boarding of Ibom Air flight Q1300 to Abuja on Wednesday, July 26.
The airline’s spokesperson, Aniekan Essienette, issued a statement on Thursday, providing details of the incident. According to the statement, Mr. Ogeneochuko took the laptop from the overhead cabin while boarding the aircraft.
“The owner of the laptop, who suspected the movement of the said Mr David (Ogeneochuko) within the aircraft, decided to check where his laptop was kept and immediately realised the item was no longer there. He raised the alarm by notifying the crew members accordingly.
“A search was immediately instituted, which led to about half an hour delay, and the laptop was found with Mr David. He was immediately offloaded and handed over to the Federal Airport Authority (FAAN) Aviation Security (AVSEC) for further investigation, who then handed him over to the Police for further investigation.
“The police have since confirmed that the suspect is a member of a large syndicate specialising in stealing onboard aircraft,” the statement said.
Ibom Air said the passenger who owned the laptop voluntarily stepped down from the flight in order to help in the investigation.
Ibom Air has zero tolerance for crime on board its flight, the airline said, adding that it would prosecute any offenders “to the full extent of the law.”
“It would be recalled that one Kingsley Chinsunum was alleged to have stolen the sum of one hundred thousand Naira (N100,000.00) from a wallet kept inside a bag in the overhead bin, while on board Ibom Air flight 4150 at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal two Ikeja, on the 31st of May 2023. He has since been charged to Court and is presently facing trial at the Ikeja Magisterial District.
“Not too long ago, a passenger, one Mr Adebayi Adelugba, staged the stealing of his own checked-in bag and declared it missing, accusing the airline of negligence amidst threats of litigation, but for CCTV footage which caught him in the act.
“He was convicted of the crime of threat against Ibom Air, disturbance of public peace, and lies at the Ogba Magistrate court in Lagos, where he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two weeks imprisonment and a fine,” the airline said, while urging passengers on board its aircraft to be “extra vigilant” and report suspicious activities to crew members.