The incident provoked questions about the porosity of the Lagos Airport where rising cases of stowaways and other unauthorized activities are commonplace.

It has also raised concerns about the vulnerability of the premier gateway without adequate perimeter and security fences.

Airport sources could not immediately ascertain the reason for the man’s action.

Air Peace, however, said the man was a stowaway who thought the plane was heading overseas.

The airline in a statement said the suspect was being held by the industry regulator for further investigation.

The Air Peace statement read in part,

“This morning, at exactly 9:10 at the MMA1 Lagos, an Owerri – bound Air Peace aircraft was taxing towards the threshold for take-off, when a man, in his twenties, emerged from the bush along the runway and tried to gain access into the aircraft through the wheel-well.

“There was a private jet behind the aircraft. The pilot-in-command of the private jet informed the Air Peace pilot-in-command that a young man obviously in his twenties, was trying to force his way into the aircraft.

“The security wing of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria was alerted and the man was accosted and whisked away. He is currently in the regulator’s custody. When interrogated on why he took the action, the man stated that he thought the aircraft was headed overseas.”