A Night Of Severe Turbulence – Police Officer Recounts Turbulent Experience On Lagos-Abuja Flight

A renowned police officer, Tunji Disu, has shared his turbulent experience while onboard an airplane from Lagos to Abuja.

Disu recounted this ordeal on Saturday through his Facebook page which was also published by Punch Newspaper. 

According to the former commander of Rapid Response Squad who titled his Facebook post: ‘A Night of Severe Turbulence’ it was an experience that cannot be forgotten in a hurry.

He explained that he returned to Abuja from Lagos, after a work mission. Immediately the flight took off at about  6pm, the pilot warned the flight passengers that there would be some turbulence but they don’t have to be bothered. 

He disclosed that the plane started to shake horizontally before everything outside went black, and he was sitting by the window. Soon, he could not see the plane’s wings any longer. 

He narrated that as the turbulence worsened, they were flung up and down. In the process, he saw lightning outside his window, and felt the seat belt yank him back into the seat.

He looked out of the window again as there was a loud bang followed by a sharp shift to the right and loss of height, and the plane began bouncing and swaying all over the place. 

Continuing his story, he wrote: “A passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt collided with the locker. In an attempt to assess the severity of the situation, I turned to look at the flight attendant in the back, who was still holding on to the seat handles while wearing her nasal mask. 

“The plane quickly changed into a flying church, complete with loud prayers. 

“I noticed the jet gaining height and speed as the pilots maintained their grip on the controls. The women next to me started crying. The turbulence began at 1815 hours, only 15 minutes after takeoff, and I was keeping an eye on my wristwatch the entire time. 

“When I turned to face the air hostess again, she smiled and motioned with her hands that everything was fine. 

“The pilot declared the start of the descent at 18:45, as we approached Abuja, and the aircraft stabilised. I felt the plane’s wheels hit the runway before taxiing to safety as if nothing had happened, and the beat went on.”