They were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly engaging in “disruptive behaviour” that endangered the safety of the flight and its passengers and crew.

The incident occurred during flight when two of the individuals identified as Adedigba Adewale and Ashibogu Magnus, originally seated in Economy Class, unlawfully occupied seats in the Business Class cabin and refused multiple directives from the crew to return to their assigned seats.

It was learnt that the two passengers found their way to the business unauthorised.

Despite efforts to de-escalate the situation, the passengers reportedly remained defiant, creating a tense atmosphere onboard.

In addition to disregarding crew instructions, the individuals allegedly openly consumed a bottle of rum they had brought onboard.

The third unruly passenger identified as Iwonze Benjamin was said to have joined in the consumption of the rum and engaged in unruly behaviour.

Their behaviour raised security and safety concerns among passengers and crew, prompting the captain to leave the cockpit to assess the situation personally before retreating to the cockpit as a precautionary measure.

It was learnt that following their conduct and the potential threat, the flight crew notified security agencies in Nigeria ahead of arrival.

“Upon landing, law enforcement officials were on the ground to apprehend the individuals who were taken into custody for further investigations,” said the report on the incident.

Air Peace in a statement reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and adherence to global aviation standards.

The airline emphasised that any form of disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated and assured the public of its continuous efforts to uphold the highest levels of security and order on all flights.

Air Peace praised its crew for their professionalism in handling this threat to safety in a way that prevented a worse event from occurring.

It added that authorities were investigating the incident, saying appropriate legal action would follow.