British Christian removed from flight over 'prayer' text

A Nigerian-born British Christian is reportedly removed from an easyJet flight from London to Amsterdam for being a “security threat” after a fellow passenger reads a message on his phone that includes the word “prayer,” and reports him to the cabin crew.

Shortly afterward, the Guardian says, two armed police officers board the plane, ask 40-year-old Laolu Opebiyi for his phone and tell him to take his belongings and accompany them off the plane.

The paper quotes Opebiyi, from London, as saying that he was forced to surrender his cellphone and his password to prove that he had been arranging a prayer session with friends via WhatsApp.

Despite being cleared by police, the pilot refused to allow Opebiyi back on the flight, forcing him to catch the next plane more than three hours later.