A Nigerian man being deported from Belgium to the Ivory Coast forced the crew of Sabena flight 689 to make an emergency landing in Malaga, Spain. During the flight from Brussels to Abidjan, police escorts released the Nigerian from his restraints. The deportee then began slapping nearby passengers, jumped away from his escorts, and ran to the cockpit, which was reportedly unlocked. He managed to gain access to the flight deck and demanded that the two pilots immediately land the Airbus A330-200 aircraft. He further threatened to operate as many of the controls as he could if they did not comply with his demand. When the Nigerian, who apparently wanted to avoid returning to Africa at all costs, refused the pilots’ offer to land at Marrakech, Morocco, the pilots diverted to Spain. The flight landed in Malaga, where the hijacker was overpowered by Spanish police. There were no reports of injuries among the 147 passengers and 11 crew members of the flight.