Chaos at Lagos airport as passenger hits Ibom Air hostess

Just days after a row at the domestic terminal of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, involving Wasiu Ayinde, the veteran Fuji musician, another drama unfolded at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed Airport.

The incident, captured in several videos shared on X, showed an enraged female passenger assaulting a flight attendant on an Ibom Air plane and confronting airport security officials.

The clips were shared on Sunday, with social media users noting that the passenger was on the Uyo to Lagos flight on the same day.

In one clip, while still aboard the plane, the visibly incensed passenger puts back on a missing wig, and jabs a flight attendant’s head with her finger, yelling, “What did you do?”

“She is hitting me,” the attendant responds calmly.

In another video, the passenger who is now off the plane, can be seen screaming at a group of airport security personnel, swatting away cameras, and lunging at persons attempting to hold her down.

Her voice, drowned in the chaos, appeared tinged with fury and frustration.

The passenger’s shirt is also noticeably torn.

Those filming claimed she earlier dished a slap on a crew member.

Moments later, she was overpowered and bundled into a waiting airport bus by security officials.

‘SIMPLY COMPLY’

The reason for the passenger’s outburst was unclear but Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), attributed the drama to the passenger’s refusal to comply with flight protocols.

“When cabin crew ask you to turn off your phone before takeoff/landing, simply comply. I can’t understand why simple routine issues would lead to incidents like this,” he tweeted in response to the videos.

“Passengers need to understand that they have responsibilities, not just rights.”

Achimugu said the issue would be addressed on Monday as details trickle in.

On August 5, the NCAA suspended two ValueJet pilots over a safety breach at the domestic wing of the Abuja airport.

KWAM 1’s disorderly conduct had led to the pilot’s suspension.

The NCAA also placed an indefinite travel ban on the celebrity — a revision from six months — pending the conclusion of investigations into the airport altercation.