The Federal Government has weighed in on the growing controversy regarding the differing handling of two recent incidents involving unruly airline passengers — Comfort Emmanson and Fuji music legend Wasiu Ayinde, also known as Kwam 1.
Emmanson was remanded in custody after allegedly assaulting Ibom Air crew members on a Uyo–Lagos flight on Sunday, while Kwam 1, who was accused of disrupting a ValueJet flight in Abuja the previous week, did not face any court action.
Mike Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), clarified the differences between the two cases during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday. According to Achimugu, the situations were not comparable. He explained that in Kwam 1’s case, the airline chose not to pursue legal action, despite having the right to do so. Consequently, the NCAA filed a petition with the relevant authorities instead. In contrast, Ibom Air swiftly exercised its legal rights to take action against Emmanson, resulting in her remand.
Achimugu also explained that while the NCAA was not directly involved in Emmanson’s case, it did intervene in Kwam 1’s situation by advising the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to impose a flight ban on the musician. Contrary to earlier reports, Achimugu clarified that Kwam 1 was not given a six-month ban, but rather an indefinite suspension pending further investigations.
Regarding Emmanson’s lifetime no-fly ban, Achimugu emphasized that airline operators have the legal authority to impose such measures. These incidents have sparked public debate about fairness and consistency in the enforcement of air travel rules in Nigeria.