Nigerian Arrested For Stealing Laptop Inside Aircraft
“The police have since confirmed that the suspect is a member of a large syndicate specialising in stealing onboard aircraft.”
By evangelist.com.ng edition, Thursday July 27, 2023.
A Nigerian passenger has been arrested for allegedly stealing a laptop inside Ibom Air aircraft.
The incident happened on Wednesday, 26 July, in Lagos during boarding of Ibom Air flight Q1300 to Abuja, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the airline.
The statement, signed by the Ibom Air spokesperson, Aniekan Essienette, identified the suspect as David Ogeneochuko.
Ms Essienette said the suspect, Mr Ogeneochuko, stole the laptop from another passenger’s bag in the overhead cabin.
She narrated how the alleged theft occurred.
“The owner of the laptop, who suspected the movement of the said Mr David (Ogeneochuko) within the aircraft, decided to check where his laptop was kept and immediately realised the item was no longer there. He raised the alarm by notifying the crew members accordingly.
“A search was immediately instituted, which led to about half an hour delay, and the laptop was found with Mr David. He was immediately offloaded and handed over to the Federal Airport Authority (FAAN) Aviation Security (AVSEC) for further investigation, who then handed him over to the Police for further investigation.
“The police have since confirmed that the suspect is a member of a large syndicate specialising in stealing onboard aircraft,” the statement said.
Ibom Air said the passenger who owned the laptop voluntarily stepped down from the flight in order to help in the investigation.
Ibom Air has zero tolerance for crime on board its flight, the airline said, adding that it would prosecute any offenders “to the full extent of the law.”
“It would be recalled that one Kingsley Chinsunum was alleged to have stolen the sum of one hundred thousand Naira (N100,000.00) from a wallet kept inside a bag in the overhead bin, while on board Ibom Air flight 4150 at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal two Ikeja, on the 31st of May 2023. He has since been charged to Court and is presently facing trial at the Ikeja Magisterial District.
“Not too long ago, a passenger, one Mr Adebayi Adelugba, staged the stealing of his own checked-in bag and declared it missing, accusing the airline of negligence amidst threats of litigation, but for CCTV footage which caught him in the act.
“He was convicted of the crime of threat against Ibom Air, disturbance of public peace, and lies at the Ogba Magistrate court in Lagos, where he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two weeks imprisonment and a fine,” the airline said, while urging passengers on board its aircraft to be “extra vigilant” and report suspicious activities to crew members.
