Panic as man climbs aircraft at Lagos airport

Passengers aboard a Port Harcourt-bound flight panicked on Friday after a yet-to-be-identified man climbed the aircraft while it was on the brink of take-off at the Murtala Muhammed airport, Ikeja.

According to a video shot by one of the passengers in Lagos, the person illicitly gained access to the airside with a piece of hand luggage.

The video additionally showed that the person climbed the aircraft wing and deposited the bag inside one of the engines.

The aircraft was at the holding bay expecting clearance for take-off when the incident occurred.

The man’s action caused panic and frenzy as some of the passengers immediately demanded that the pilot and cabin crew open the aircraft doors for them to disembark due to safety concerns.

Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, who confirmed the development to newsmen said the man had been arrested.

According to her, the stowaway was arrested by the Aviation Security Personnel and was taken to Tango City, a FAAN security unit domiciled at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

Also, the spokesperson for the Lagos Airport Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Alabi, however, said that the case had not been transferred to the  Command from Tango City, adding that further information would be released in due course.

A reliable source, however, told NAN that the individual, upon arrest, claimed he wanted to travel to Ghana but refused to disclose how he managed to gain access to the restricted airside.

(NAN)