Federal Government Withdraws Criminal Complaint Against Ms. Comfort Emmanson, Reduces Sanctions on KWAM 1 and ValueJet Crew
By Our Reporter
The Federal Government has officially withdrawn its criminal complaint against Ms. Comfort Emmanson, the passenger involved in the recent altercation aboard an Ibom Air flight, and announced a series of conciliatory measures affecting other stakeholders in the aviation sector.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued on Wednesday by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN. According to the statement, the decision followed extensive consultations with key stakeholders across the aviation industry in the past 48 hours.
Ms. Emmanson, who was detained at Kirikiri Prisons following a complaint by Ibom Air over alleged unruly conduct on August 10, has shown “great remorse,” according to the Minister. As a result, the airline has agreed to withdraw its complaint, and her release is expected within the week.
Furthermore, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has agreed to lift the lifetime flying ban initially imposed on her. The AON is expected to release further details on the resolution.
In a separate incident involving renowned musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (popularly known as KWAM 1) and ValueJet, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will reduce his flight ban to one month. Additionally, the NCAA will withdraw criminal complaints against the artist, citing his public demonstration of remorse.
As part of efforts to promote better airport behavior, discussions are underway to engage KWAM 1 as an ambassador for airport security protocol awareness.
Also impacted by the ValueJet incident were Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba, whose licenses were suspended by the NCAA. The Minister announced that their licenses will be restored after a one-month ban, contingent on their completion of a mandatory professional reappraisal.
In a proactive move, the Minister directed all aviation-related agencies to commence a retreat next week aimed at retraining aviation security personnel on how to handle disruptive passengers and deescalate tense situations. The event will be open to the press and will include a separate session focused on the conduct of airline staff toward passengers.
Keyamo emphasized that the decisions were made on "compassionate grounds," and not under pressure from political or public sentiment.
“This is a line we are drawing,” the Minister stated. “The government will not hesitate to act decisively in future cases involving threats to aviation safety and security.”
The measures, he said, are intended to serve as both a corrective and preventative step, reinforcing public awareness while holding all parties—passengers, crew, and security—equally accountable.
