A passenger on Aero Contractor flight, Ovuironye Matthew Dennis, was on Monday arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, for allegedly stealing N350,000, belonging to another passenger.
Dennis was arrested on board the 6:45am flight of the airline to Abuja for allegedly stealing the money belonging to an Austrian, Novotny Anton.
The airline, in a statement, said the suspect had been handed over to the Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, at Abuja.
According to accounts, the suspect, who was seated on 23C, was spotted by one of the cabin crew when he removed the bag belonging to Austrian co-passenger and made away with N150,000 and 500 Euros.
But luck was not on his side as an agile female cabin crew, who had been watching him removing the bag told him to remain seated, while he was trying to return the bag.
The cabin crew said,“While trying to return the bag, I asked him to sit down. But he became uncomfortable before the plane landed and the white man raised the alarm that he couldn’t find his bag.”
The cabin crew member told the Austrian to check the bag with Dennis. The Austrian checked and identified it as his, he then proceeded to check the contents and discovered that the sum of N150, 000 and 500 Euros was missing from the bag.
Angry passengers reportedly mobbed the thief who claimed he stole the money to take care of his ailing mother.
Aero, in confirming the incident said the suspect had been handed over to the police by FAAN.
“Aero can confirm arrest of a passenger on flight NG 121 from Lagos to Abuja, who was caught pilfering another passenger’s bag.
“The passenger has since been handed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Abuja security office, who handed him over to the Nigeria Police,” the airline side“““
