Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, a passenger on the flight, recounted the experience in a post shared on Thursday.
An Ibom Air flight en route from Abuja to Lagos on Thursday made a return to the nation’s capital after poor weather conditions prevented it from landing.
Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, a passenger on the flight, recounted the experience in a post shared on Thursday.
"We took off from Abuja with Ibom Air at about 7:10 AM. Sadly, the plane couldn’t land due to bad weather. After hovering for about 30 minutes in Lagos, the captain changed course," he said on X.
Effiong added that the aircraft eventually returned to Abuja after spending about two hours in the air.
"We’re back in Abuja. Two hours in the air. The captain handled it well," he wrote.
The airline had not issued an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.
Poor weather has, over time, caused flight cancellations and delays across various airlines in Nigeria.
On September 15, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that Air Peace announced delays on some of its flights across its network following heavy rainfall in Lagos State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Osifo-Whiskey Efe, the airline explained that the adverse weather conditions had disrupted operations across parts of its network.
“Dear esteemed customer, we wish to inform you that due to the heavy downpour of rain in Lagos and Port Harcourt this morning, some flights across our operating networks will be delayed,” the statement read.
The airline stressed that safety remained paramount and appealed for passengers’ understanding.
"While weather is beyond our control and safety remains our utmost priority, we appeal for your understanding as we manage the disruptions as best as we can and get you to your destinations safely," it said.