The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified that it neither imposed charges nor banned Comfort Emmanson, the passenger who assaulted staff on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos.
During a discussion on X space on Monday, Mike Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, stated that the authority does not dictate airline prosecutions, emphasising that the court will ultimately determine the outcome.
Achimugu noted that the Ibom Air incident differs from that involving Wasiu Ayinde, a Fuji musician known as KWAM 1, as the NCAA had ample time to investigate and advise the airline in that case.
On August 5, while aboard a ValueJet flight, KWAM 1 was seen drinking from a flask. When a flight attendant approached him, suspecting the contents to be alcohol—prohibited on Nigerian flights—the artist refused to surrender the flask, claiming it contained prescribed medication.
Subsequently, the flight crew removed him from the plane after he attempted to prevent its departure. Following this, the NCAA initially placed KWAM 1 on a no-fly list for six months, which was later extended to an indefinite ban pending a thorough investigation.
In Emmanson’s case, Achimugu explained that the airline acted independently based on the evidence at hand. He asserted that the airline had every right to impose a ban after the incident, which involved the passenger physically assaulting a cabin crew member.
He acknowledged that while the ban could potentially be lifted in the future, the immediate priority was to ensure the safety and dignity of airline staff, who are also part of the community.
Achimugu stressed that the NCAA did not advise the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to blacklist any passengers, and that AON is within its rights to take such action based on the circumstances.
He also mentioned that while the airline has the right to pursue legal action, there is room for parties to settle the matter outside of court, should they reach an agreement.
The Ibom Air incident has led to Emmanson being placed on a lifetime no-fly list by AON due to what has been described as one of the most severe cases of unruly behaviour this year. She is currently held at Kirikiri correctional facility, with a magistrate court in Ogba, Lagos, ordering her remand until October 6.
