The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced that it is investigating the incident involving a passenger and Enugu Air.
On Monday, a video surfaced on X showing security officials forcibly removing a passenger from an Enugu Air flight after he allegedly refused to switch off his mobile phone.
Speaking with TheCable on Tuesday, Obiageli Orah, FAAN’s director of public affairs and consumer protection, confirmed that investigations were underway. She noted that initial findings point to the passenger’s refusal to comply with safety protocols.
“Right now, we are still investigating to get the full information about what happened,” Orah said.
“So far, what we have gathered is that a passenger was meant to switch off his mobile phone but he refused to abide by that instruction and other passengers in the airplane also joined in asking him to turn off his mobile phone and when he refused to do that, the securities on ground were alerted.
“Even the passengers were not comfortable with him refusing to switch off his phone and the securities had to deplane him.
“That is what we have gathered so far but we are still on that to get the full information.”
According to Orah, the flight—scheduled to depart Enugu for Lagos—was unable to proceed until the disruptive passenger was removed.
“He became unruly and the pilot had to report the matter to the controller,” she explained.
“What is interesting is that other passengers in the aircraft were quite uncomfortable with the non-compliance of the passenger and they even joined in asking him to turn off his phone. The aircraft had to go back to deplane him.”
This development comes shortly after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) reiterated its directive that all mobile phones must be completely switched off during take-off and landing.
The directive followed a recent air rage case involving Comfort Emmanson, who was accused of unruly behaviour on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos.