An Air Peace passenger was removed from an Abuja-bound flight after allegedly threatening that his anger could “burn down” the aircraft during preparations for take-off.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) said the incident occurred on flight P47866 on November 9, after the passenger, identified as Celestine Ezeudu, allegedly refused repeated instructions from cabin crew to stop taking pictures and put away his device.
The NCAA Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this in an incident report shared on social media on Monday.
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According to Achimugu, the situation escalated when a second crew member approached Ezeudu, leading to an altercation.
He said the passenger then made the statement: “The anger I am feeling can burn down this plane.”
The crew immediately alerted the captain, who initiated a return to the ramp at 15:57 hours to allow the passenger to be removed.
Achimugu said Ezeudu complied with the instructions to leave the aircraft without further resistance.
The passenger’s travelling companion also voluntarily disembarked in solidarity with him.
“In the crime room, Ezeudu claimed that his anger stemmed from missing an earlier flight, but he did not know that his behaviour would lead to a ramp return,” Achimugu said.
The NCAA official did not disclose whether the passenger would face further sanctions or prosecution over the incident.
The development comes amid aviation safety concerns over passengers who disregard cabin crew instructions, particularly during critical phases of flight.
Cabin crew instructions are part of standard safety procedures, and passengers are expected to comply with them to protect everyone on board.
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