By Desire Emmanuel
Two Nigerians who were among those brought back from South Africa to Nigeria over xenophobic attacks have been arrested by men of the Lagos Airport Police Command after they were found to have smoked cigarettes and drank a brand of alcohol when the plane was in the air.
Their action triggered the aircraft’s smoke detection and emergency alarm system, causing panic and anxiety among passengers and cabin crew inside the plane.
The two Nigerians, Enaruna Prince Aghama (aged 51 years) and Tony Ajayi (aged 43 years), were apprehended by Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel upon the aircraft’s landing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, and handed over to the Airport Police Command for further investigation.
It was gathered that around 7:44 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, while aboard an Air Peace flight from South Africa to Lagos for the fourth evacuation of Nigerians in South Africa, the two citizens lit and smoked cigarettes inside the aircraft.
Further investigation revealed that the men were also busy drinking a brand of alcoholic beverage, became uncooperative and verbally violent when cabin crew members attempted to de-escalate the situation and enforce established safety regulations, thereby further disrupting the orderly conduct of the flight.
The two men were said to have given more information about their conduct in detention and they are expected to be arraigned next week for their conduct.
