Unruly Ibom Air Passenger Arraigned For Flight Obstruction
A passenger aboard an Ibom Air flight, Ms. Chiamaka Don Ubani, has been arraigned by the Nigeria Police Force on two counts of flight obstruction after preventing Flight Q1528 from departing last Wednesday.
The flight, which had 89 passengers on board, was scheduled to depart from Uyo en route to Abuja but was delayed due to an incident involving Ubani over a baggage issue.
Dr. Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), shared details of the incident in a post on X, revealing the charges filed against Ubani. She is accused of “intentionally and maliciously preventing the door of the aircraft from closing, thereby causing obstruction of Flight Q1528 from flying,” a violation punishable under Section 436 of the Criminal Code, Cap 39, Volume 2, Laws of Akwa Ibom State.
In a second charge, Ubani is accused of “constituting herself into a public nuisance by obstructing Flight Q1528 from flying at the scheduled time, which caused inconvenience or damage to passengers and the general public,” an offense under Section 196(1)(f) of the criminal code.
The passenger has since been granted bail, and a new court date has been set for February 4, 2025, at the Uyo Magistrate Court.
The NCAA has strongly advised passengers to refrain from any unruly behavior at airports and on aircraft. The authority also encouraged the public to report any related complaints to the designated NCAA email addresses: michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng, ifueko.abdulmalik@ncaa.gov.ng, and cpd@ncaa.gov.ng.
