The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified why Comfort Emmanson, the female passenger accused of assaulting Ibom Air crew members, faces prosecution while Fuji music icon Wasiu Ayinde, also known as Kwam 1, did not face court charges after allegedly disrupting a ValueJet flight.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, distinguished the two cases as fundamentally different.
He explained that in Kwam 1’s situation, the airline chose not to exercise its legal right to pursue the passenger in court. “The NCAA fulfilled its responsibility by petitioning the relevant authorities,” Achimugu said. “By contrast, the Ibom Air airline immediately sought legal recourse because its staff had been assaulted.”
Achimugu emphasised that the NCAA was not directly involved in initiating Emmanson’s prosecution. However, regarding Kwam 1, the authority issued a directive to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to impose an indefinite flight ban on the musician pending investigation. This contrasts with earlier reports of a six-month suspension.
He noted that the no-fly ban on Emmanson was implemented by the airline operators themselves, who possess the legal mandate to enforce such restrictions.
“We have limited aircraft capacity in Nigeria, so any risk to an aircraft is unacceptable. These planes represent a significant financial investment, whether leased or purchased. If damage had occurred to that aircraft, could she have covered the repair costs?” Achimugu questioned.
He added that the Ibom Air plane was scheduled for another flight shortly after the incident, making the removal of the disruptive passenger essential to prevent further disturbances.
Achimugu reassured the public that the situation would be handled impartially but cautioned that unruly behaviour from passengers would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
“No matter the provocation, passengers can always lodge complaints with the NCAA. We are committed to ensuring fairness for all parties involved,” he stated.
Following this, Achimugu appealed on X (formerly Twitter) for passengers aboard the Ibom Air flight to come forward with eyewitness accounts to guarantee a balanced investigation.
He confirmed that NCAA officials in Lagos will lead a fact-finding mission in collaboration with police and aviation security agencies.
“This incident tests the strength of our systems. It exposes regulatory gaps and weaknesses, giving us the chance to address and close them,” he concluded.
