Akwa Ibom State-owned airline Ibom Air said on Thursday that it got one of its passengers arrested for stealing the laptop of a co-traveller in-flight.
The airline’s spokesperson Aniekan Essienette in a statement said the suspect Ogeneochuko David is being prosecuted following the incident on Wednesday.
The statement said, “On the morning of July 26, during the boarding of Ibom Air flight Q1300 from Lagos to Abuja, a passenger, Ogeneochuko David, was apprehended for allegedly taking another passenger’s laptop from his bag in the overhead cabin.
“The owner of the laptop, who suspected the movement of the said David 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.”
Essienette said the laptop was found with the suspect after about 30 minutes search.
“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.
“The police have since confirmed that the suspect is a member of a syndicate, which specialises in stealing onboard an aircraft.
“The owner of the laptop voluntarily stepped down from the flight to assist with the investigation and promised to follow up with the case to its logical conclusion,” the statement added.
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Ibom Air further said that one Kingsley Chinomso was alleged to have stolen the sum of N100,000 from a wallet kept inside a bag in the overhead bin, while on board Ibom Air flight 4150 at Murtala Muhammed Aircraft Terminal 2, Ikeja, on May 31.
“He has since been charged to Court and is presently facing trial at the Ikeja Magisterial District.
“Not too long ago, a passenger, one 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 Close Circuit Television (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 statement noted.
The airline urged passengers to be vigilant and attentive to their belongings during flights.
