Fake boarding pass, real trouble — Nigerian remanded in US prison over airport security breach.

Abdulrahman Oluwatumike Oriyomi, a 25-year-old Nigerian based in the United States, has been remanded in prison custody for allegedly passing through a TSA checkpoint with a fake boarding pass and boarding a United Airlines flight at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport in May 2026.

During a court hearing on Monday, June 8, a judge maintained Oriyomi’s bond at $15,000. His attorney indicated that efforts would be made to secure his release on bond.
Oriyomi is facing a charge of impairing or interrupting the operation of a critical infrastructure facility. As part of the bond conditions, the court ordered him to wear an ankle monitor and remain within Harris County and neighboring counties.
The Houston resident was arrested in connection with the May 18 incident and charged with felony impairment or interruption of a critical infrastructure facility.
According to court documents, surveillance footage showed Oriyomi in Terminal C on the morning of May 18 experiencing difficulties with his boarding pass before speaking with transportation security officers, who eventually allowed him to have his photograph taken and proceed through security screening.
Once past security, he was reportedly seen speaking with United Airlines employees on several occasions and attempting to board at least one flight. Each attempt was unsuccessful because his boarding pass failed to scan properly, court documents stated.
At approximately 9 a.m., Oriyomi joined the boarding line for United Airlines Flight 469, which was scheduled to depart for Los Angeles.
According to a Houston Police Department officer’s statement in court records, Oriyomi allegedly waited until United employees were distracted by other passengers before pretending to present a boarding pass and walking past airline staff onto the jetway.
After boarding the aircraft, he reportedly occupied an aisle seat before entering a restroom. Upon returning, he found the seat occupied by its rightful passenger. Investigators say he then repeatedly returned to the restroom in what appeared to be an attempt to conceal himself. A passenger eventually alerted a flight attendant that someone remained in the restroom while the aircraft was taxiing.
Court documents state that despite repeated instructions to take a seat, Oriyomi continued returning to the restroom. When asked for his name by a flight attendant, he allegedly identified himself as “Mr. Lopez.” Airline personnel later checked the passenger manifest and found no passenger by that name authorized to be on the flight, prompting the aircraft to return to the gate.
Passengers and crew were required to disembark while the Houston Police Department’s K-9 unit conducted an explosives inspection of the aircraft.
During questioning, Oriyomi reportedly provided his real name. A United customer service manager informed police that a reservation existed under his name but had been canceled due to nonpayment.
Police issued him a trespass warning, and court documents allege that he caused a disturbance by recording officers with his mobile phone before leaving the airport.
As a result of the incident, Flight 469 was delayed for about three hours. United Airlines declined to comment publicly, referring inquiries to law enforcement authorities.
Subsequent investigations by the Houston Police Department determined that the boarding pass used by Oriyomi was fraudulent after it was compared with authentic boarding passes and reviewed with United Airlines personnel.
He was later arrested and charged with intentionally impairing or interrupting the operation of a critical infrastructure facility.
Oriyomi is currently being held at the Harris County Joint Processing Center and was scheduled to appear in Harris County Court for a bail review. It remains unclear whether he has formally retained legal counsel.
The report was compiled from accounts published by ABC News and NBC News.