A male passenger was arrested on Wednesday aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Abuja after he was accused of stealing ₦290,000 from a foreign national shortly before takeoff.
The incident reportedly occurred around 7:00 am moments after passengers had boarded the aircraft.
According to eyewitnesses, the foreign passenger raised an alarm when he noticed that a large sum of cash, which had been stored in his carry-on bag placed in the overhead bin, had gone missing.
Cabin crew responded swiftly to the commotion. Another passenger informed them that he had observed the suspect handling the foreigner’s bag earlier. The accused, however, denied any involvement.
An initial search of the suspect’s hand luggage yielded no results.
However, tensions rose in the cabin as fellow passengers insisted on a more thorough body search.
Eyewitnesses said the suspect began to act nervously, which prompted a closer inspection. The missing money was allegedly found hidden inside his socks and beneath his seat.
Following the discovery, airport security personnel were notified.
The suspect was escorted off the plane and handed over to aviation security officials for further investigation.
As of the time of this report, Ibom Air has not released an official statement regarding the incident.
