The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified the reasons behind the differing handling of two passenger incidents involving Ibom Air and Fuji music legend Wasiu Ayinde, known as KWAM 1. According to Mike Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, the situations were handled differently by the airlines involved.
Achimugu explained that Comfort Emmanson’s case was taken to court after she physically assaulted Ibom Air staff during an altercation, prompting the airline to take immediate legal action. In contrast, ValueJet, the airline involved in KWAM 1’s case, chose not to pursue prosecution, although the NCAA intervened and filed a petition with the relevant authorities.
The dispute with Emmanson occurred when she ignored repeated instructions to switch off her phone before takeoff in Uyo, leading to a confrontation in which she slapped and kicked airline staff, including a female hostess. Security personnel removed her from the plane, and she was later remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
Achimugu clarified that the NCAA was not directly involved in Emmanson’s prosecution but confirmed that it had issued an advisory recommending an indefinite no-fly ban on KWAM 1, pending investigations. He further emphasized that airlines have the right to impose flight bans on disruptive passengers, particularly when their actions jeopardize flight safety or cause delays.
The NCAA stressed that such incidents provide an opportunity to identify and address gaps in aviation safety procedures, urging passengers to express grievances through appropriate channels rather than resorting to aggressive behavior.