A passenger onboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Abuja was reportedly caught attempting to steal ₦290,000 from a fellow traveler shortly before takeoff on Tuesday, October 8, 2025.

According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred at approximately 7:00 a.m. after boarding had been completed and passengers were seated.

A foreign national on the flight raised an alarm after discovering that a significant sum of money had gone missing from his hand luggage, which had been placed in the overhead compartment.

A female passenger seated nearby claimed she had seen another passenger tampering with the complainant’s bag.

Upon confrontation, the accused initially denied any wrongdoing. However, pressure from other passengers led to a more thorough search of the suspect and his belongings.

Eyewitnesses allege that the stolen money, totaling ₦290,000, was eventually found concealed inside the man’s socks and under his seat.

He was promptly escorted off the aircraft and handed over to airport security personnel for further investigation.

The incident caused a brief delay in the flight’s departure to Abuja but operations resumed once the situation was under control.

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This is not the first time Ibom Air has been involved in an onboard theft case. In 2023, a similar incident occurred when a passenger was caught attempting to steal another traveler’s laptop mid-flight.

The airline has previously stated that it maintains a zero-tolerance stance on criminal behavior onboard its aircraft and has pledged to support the prosecution of offenders.

As of the time of filing this report, Ibom Air has not issued an official statement regarding the latest incident.