Commuters aboard a Port Harcourt-bound flight panicked on Friday after a yet-to-be-identified man climbed the aircraft while it was about to take-off at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja.

A video shot by one of the passengers in Lagos, the man illegally gained access to the airside with a piece of hand luggage.

The video seen by our correspondent showed that the man climbed the aircraft wing and deposited the bag inside one of the engines.

The aircraft was at the holding bay expecting clearance for take-off when the incident occurred.

The man’s action caused panic and frenzy as some of the passengers immediately demanded that the pilot and cabin crew open the aircraft doors for them to disembark due to safety concerns.

General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, who confirmed the development to newsmen said the man had been arrested.

She said, the stowaway was arrested by the Aviation Security Personnel and was taken to Tango City, a FAAN security unit domiciled at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

Also, the spokesperson for the Lagos Airport Police Command, DSP Joseph Alabi, confirmed the development to the NAN.

Alabi, however, said that the case had not been transferred to the Command from Tango City, adding that further information would be released in due course.

A reliable source, however, told NAN that the individual, upon arrest, claimed he wanted to travel to Ghana but refused to disclose how he managed to gain access to the restricted airside.