The Airport Police Command, Lagos, has said it will arraign two passengers for allegedly smoking and engaging in unruly conduct aboard an Air Peace flight from South Africa to Lagos, an incident that reportedly triggered the aircraft’s emergency smoke alarm and caused panic among passengers.
The command disclosed this in a statement on Friday signed by its Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Adeola, and identified the suspects as Enaruna Prince Aghama, 51, and Tony Ajayi, 43.
According to the statement, the suspects were handed over to the International Airport Police Division by Aviation Security personnel after the aircraft landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, for further investigation.
The police said preliminary findings showed that the incident occurred at about 7:44 p.m. on Thursday while the aircraft was en route to Lagos.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that at about 1944hrs on 9th July, 2026, while aboard an Air Peace flight from South Africa to Lagos, the suspects lit and smoked cigarettes inside the aircraft, an action which activated the aircraft’s smoke detection and emergency alarm system, causing panic and anxiety among passengers and cabin crew,” the statement read.
The command added that investigations also revealed that the suspects were in possession of an alcoholic beverage and became uncooperative when cabin crew members attempted to enforce safety procedures.
It stated that the pair “became uncooperative and verbally aggressive when cabin crew members attempted to de-escalate the situation and enforce established safety regulations, thereby further disrupting the orderly conduct of the flight.”
Commenting on the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, CP Ogunbode Olufunke, described the suspects’ alleged conduct as unacceptable.
She said, “Any act capable of compromising aviation safety or disrupting the orderly operation of an aircraft is unacceptable.”
Olufunke added that the command “remains committed to the strict enforcement of aviation security laws and the protection of the lives of passengers, crew members, and all airport users.”
She also urged members of the travelling public to obey lawful directives issued by airline operators and aviation personnel, stressing that “maintaining discipline and orderly conduct aboard aircraft is a shared responsibility essential to safe air travel.”
The police said the suspects would be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction after the conclusion of investigations.
