Ololade Adeyanju & NAN/
Passengers aboard a Port Harcourt-bound Azman Air flight were thrown into panic this morning after a yet-to-be-identified man suddenly emerged from nowhere and stepped in front of the aircraft as it was taxiing at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja.
The man, who carried a piece of luggage, later climbed the Azman aircraft which originated from MMA2 and reportedly dumped his luggage in the engine.
The man is suspected to have gained access to the taxi way through the Ajayi Farm gate of the airport, along the Lagos- Abeokuta Expressway.
A report of the incident shared on Instagram by one of the passengers aboard the aircraft, with handle, otto_orondaam, has gone viral on the internet.
The passenger claimed that officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) who arrived the scene 23 minutes after the intruder climbed the plane could not come close to the aircraft out of fear.
He claimed that aviation security officials also took about 37 minutes to intervene and arrest the intruder, during which time the passengers were in utter panic.
Also, a video shot by one of the passengers showed that the man illegally gained access to the airside with a piece of hand luggage.
The video also showed that the man climbed the aircraft wing and deposited the bag inside one of the engines.
The aircraft was at the holding bay expecting clearance for take-off when the incident occurred.
The man’s action caused panic and frenzy as some of the passengers immediately demanded that the pilot and cabin crew open the aircraft doors for them to disembark due to safety concerns.
Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, who confirmed the development to newsmen said the man had been arrested.
According to her, the stowaway was arrested by the Aviation Security Personnel and was taken to Tango City, a FAAN security unit domiciled at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Also, the spokesperson for the Lagos Airport Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Alabi, however, said that the case had not been transferred to the Command from Tango City, adding that further information would be released in due course.
A reliable source, however, told NAN that the individual, upon arrest, claimed he wanted to travel to Ghana but refused to disclose how he managed to gain access to the restricted airside.
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