An Arik Air flight from Lagos to Abuja faced a delay on Saturday evening after a disruptive passenger attempted to exit the aircraft before takeoff at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The incident led to a security inspection and required all passengers to briefly disembark.
Videos shared online showed passengers waiting outside the plane while the airline conducted a thorough check. The passenger who recorded the incident initially described the individual as a “fake passenger” attempting unauthorized boarding.
However, Arik Air’s head of corporate communications, Adebanji Ola, clarified that the individual was not a fake passenger but a disruptive traveler who exhibited erratic behavior, possibly due to substance use. According to Ola, the passenger was apprehended by Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) aviation security (AVSEC) officers and removed from the aircraft.
Following standard procedures, the airline requested all passengers to disembark while a security sweep was completed. A second boarding was called, and the flight departed for Abuja with a 32-minute delay, eventually leaving at 6:52 pm with 126 passengers on board.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed the delay, explaining that the passenger’s parents were called to retrieve him from the airport. Achimugu reiterated that no unauthorized passenger boarded the flight, and the situation was promptly managed for the safety of all travelers.
