Legal action against unruly Ibom Air passenger to prevent recurrence – NCAA
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has vowed to put an end to unruly passenger behaviour, saying legal action against an unruly Ibom Air passenger whose video is circulating online will prevent recurrence.
Last Wednesday, an Ibom Air flight scheduled to depart Uyo for Abuja at 17:30 hrs was disrupted by an unruly female passenger, thereby affecting 89 passengers.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr Micheal Achimugu, revealed via his X handle that the passenger was being prosecuted in court.
But while reacting to an X user, Zibah_Obi, who claimed that the passenger was her friend’s sister who had misplaced her luggage in the past, Achimugu also said he would make an example of her.
Zibah_Obi had said: “This is my friend’s sister. They had misplaced her luggage twice before, so this time she wasn’t having it. She was onboard the flight and saw that they had removed her box from the plane. She went to confront the flight attendants as to why that happened.
“She told them to put back her luggage or they should assure her that her luggage would be sent to Abuja the same day. Next thing, the pilot said he won’t fly the plane. They arrested her and detained her for two days. They sued her, She is also counter-suing.”
Reacting, Achimugu stated: “She has a right to her side of the story. What she will explain as a lawyer is if anything gives her the right to be unruly, or if Ibom Air did not deliver her bag to her the last time she was short-landed. A lawyer spoke to me on her behalf yesterday and the day before. She admitted that the airline delivered her previous bag to her, but that it was delivered in an unsafe place and manner.
“She will have to prove if: This particular airline has misplaced her luggage before. If she reported any such case to the NCAA and it was not handled. If it justifies her behaviour on the day. I have been here long enough. I will ensure that there is an example set for this kind of behaviour. Let the grandstanding go on.”