The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has filed a two-count charge against Chiamaka Ubani, an Ibom Air passenger, over her unruly behaviour which caused a flight disruption.
On January 8, Ubani disrupted an Ibom Air flight scheduled to depart Uyo, Akwa Ibom capital, for Abuja at 5:30 pm because she refused to travel without her checked-in luggage.
Narrating the incident in a post on X, Michael Achimugu, director of consumer protection and public affairs at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said Ubani’s luggage and those of other passengers were offloaded due to weight restrictions.
Ubani reportedly held the plane hostage until the airspace was closed, which forced the pilot to announce the cancellation of the flight.
“Her actions ensured that 89 other passengers on board lost valuable time, money, and opportunities,” Achimugu wrote.
Giving an update on the issue in a post on Wednesday, Achimugu said police have charged the passenger in court.
He added that “she was released on bail on Friday, January 10, 2025”.
In count one, Ubani is charged with “intentionally and maliciously preventing the door of the aircraft from closing and causing obstruction of flight Q1528 from flying, thereby committed offence punishable under section 436 of the criminal code, cap 39, volume. 2, laws of Akwa Ibom State.”
In count two the police said: “She constituted herself into a public nuisance by obstructing flight Q1528 from flying at the scheduled time, an act which caused inconvenience or damage to passengers already boarded and the general public and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 196(1)(f) of the criminal code.”
The case is scheduled to come up before a magistrate court in Uyo on February 4.