The Federal Government has clarified why Comfort Emmanson, a female passenger accused of assaulting Ibom Air crew members, was swiftly remanded in court, while Fuji legend Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as Kwam 1, who allegedly disrupted a ValueJet flight in Abuja last week, faced no immediate legal action.
The Ibom Air incident, which occurred on the Uyo–Lagos route on Sunday, has stirred public outrage and accusations of selective justice.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Mike Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said the two cases were fundamentally different.
“There is no comparison here; it’s not a case of oranges and oranges,” Achimugu stated. “In the Kwam 1 incident, the airline did not activate its right to take the passenger to court, so the NCAA did what it was supposed to do — petition the authorities to sanction the passenger.
“In the Ibom Air case, perhaps because their staff was assaulted, the airline immediately exercised its right to pursue legal action, and the matter went to court.”
He explained that the NCAA was not directly involved in Emmanson’s prosecution, but in Kwam 1’s matter, the Authority issued an advisory to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) recommending a flight ban.
Achimugu also clarified that contrary to earlier reports, Kwam 1 was not placed on a six-month ban but rather an indefinite ban pending the outcome of investigations.
On why Emmanson was placed on a lifetime no-fly ban, Achimugu said airline operators have the legal authority to impose such sanctions.
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