•AON lifts flight ban on passenger 

•NCAA withdraws criminal complaints against KWAM 1, flight ban reduced to one month

•FAAN to engage fuji star as ambassador for proper airport security protocol  

•Captains’ licences to be restored in one-month after undergoing mandatory professional re-appraisal 

•Seadogs welcome reconciliation moves, reiterate call for equal justice

Chinedu Eze, Wale Igbintade in Lagos and Micheal Olugbode in Abuja

An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court yesterday struck out all charges against Miss Comfort Emmason, the passenger accused of unruly behaviour and assault aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos on Sunday.

This followed an earlier disclosure by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, that after consultations with aviation stakeholders, public appeals, and expressions of remorse, it was agreed that the charges should be withdrawn.

Keyamo, in the statement made available on his social media platform, X (Twitter), stated that the government took the decision after reviewing her incident as well as the case of the Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, known as Kwam 1 involved in the Valujet Flight. This, he said included appeals made by well-meaning individuals and remorse shown by the actors.

However, at the Ikeja Court, Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami discharged Emmason after the police withdrew the five-count charge against her.

Emmason, arraigned on Monday, had been granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties— one of whom was required to be a blood relative and provide evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government. Unable to meet the bail conditions, she was remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.

At yesterday’s hearing, Police Prosecutor Inspector Oluwabunmi Adeitan informed the court of “new developments” and tendered a letter from the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Airport Command, dated August 13, 2025, requesting the withdrawal of the charges under Section 72(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2015, for further investigation.

The defence counsel, Adams Atakpa, did not oppose the application.

Following confirmation that the withdrawal was unconditional, Magistrate Salami admonished the 26-year-old to “exercise wisdom” in future, warning that she “might not be this fortunate in another matter.”

Immediately after the proceedings, Emmason was whisked away in a waiting car, while her family members shielded her from speaking to journalists.

Earlier yesterday, Keyamo explained: “In the last 48 hours, I have been in consultation with critical stakeholders in the aviation sector and those involved in the unfortunate incidents regarding the unruly behaviours of certain individuals at our airports of recent.

 “Though regrettable, we think valuable lessons have been learnt by all sides to these incidents and airport security protocol, especially, have been well highlighted for the travelling public. If nothing at all, the episodes have undoubtedly helped to raise public awareness about appropriate conduct within the aviation space.

 “As highlighted in my previous statements on the last two incidents, clear wrongs were committed by both the offending passengers and staff of the airlines involved, from all the evidence available to us and those available to the public.

“It is clear that all the actors involved cannot continue to highlight the injury or injustice done to them without acknowledging their own equal culpability.”

Furthermore, the Minister stated: “In the case of the unruly passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, on the Ibom Airline on Sunday, the 10th of August, 2025, I have conferred with Ibom Airline to withdraw the Complaint against her today. When the Police took her Statement in presence of her lawyer, she exhibited great remorse for her conduct.

 “Subsequent to the withdrawal of the complaint by the Complainant, the CP of Airport Command and the Police Prosecutor will immediately take the remaining steps to facilitate her release from Kirikiri Prisons within this week.

 “I have also conferred with the leadership of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and have appealed to them to lift the life-time flying ban imposed on her, to which they agreed. The details of the resolution will be made public by the AON subsequently,” the Minister said.

On Kwam 1, he said, “In the case of KWAM 1, the NCAA (Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority) is to reduce his flight ban to a one-month period. FAAN will also work with the music star with a view to engaging him as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol going forward.

 “Having publicly demonstrated penitence, the NCAA is also to withdraw its criminal complaints against KWAM 1 earlier lodged with the Police.

 “In the case of Captain Oluranti Ogoyi, and the co-pilot, First Officer Ivan Oloba of ValueJet, the NCAA is to restore their licenses after the same period of one-month ban, after undergoing some mandatory professional re-appraisal. The details will be announced by the NCAA.”

Keyamo also said he has directed all relevant aviation agencies in collaboration with other complementary agencies to retrain and prepare “our aviation security personnel on how to deal with errant and disruptive passengers and how to de-escalate potentially explosive situations. The retreat will be fully covered by the press with the opportunity to ask all the relevant questions.”

Keyamo said the airlines would also have their own session, where the conduct and attitude of their staff towards members of the travelling public would be in full focus.

“These above decisions were taken by government and the airline operators purely on compassionate grounds, as government will never pander to base sentiments, politically-motivated views or warped legal opinions when clear encroachment of our laws are involved.

“We are also sending a clear message that we take safety and security in the aviation sector very seriously and we have decided to draw a line after these clemencies,” the Minister added.

In a separate post on his X handle, Keyamo clarified that, “it is common practice all over the world that a repentant offender is made to preach publicly against the exact conduct from which he has repented. It is akin to Community Service. It is not paid for and it is voluntary service.

“Unfortunately, in Nigeria, some would assume that once you hear the word ‘Ambassador’ it is a big position that comes with the perquisites of office. No, it is not. It is for free. It is not the first time it is happening in Nigeria and it will not be the last . Examples abound of such roles given to repentant persons by previous governments in Nigeria.

“Whilst the aviation agencies are considering using KWAM 1 for such a role, in my discussion last night with the AON, they are also looking at the option of using Ms. Comfort Emmanson, who has also shown remorse, as their own Ambassador for good passenger conduct.

“It is left for the AON to work out those details since she has been actually released from prison custody today based on my earlier statement.  Whilst the usual suspects can continue to question our decisions on this issue, we firmly believe we have been fair to all.”

Meanwhile, the National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity), in a statement by the NAS Cap’n, Dr Joseph Oteri, said the Minister’s intervention, which emphasised de-escalation, reconciliation, and capacity building for aviation security personnel, was a welcome step towards addressing public concerns about fairness and consistency in enforcement.

“From the outset, NAS made it clear that our position was not to excuse or defend unruly behaviour, but to insist that all offenders, whether high-profile or unknown, must face the same lawful consequences for breaches of aviation safety protocols.

“The Minister’s acknowledgement that wrongs were committed on all sides, and his move to review the cases holistically, aligns with our call for justice that is even-handed and corrective, not selective,” Oteri said.

The Association, however, cautioned that the clemency granted in the cases should not be misconstrued as tolerance for misconduct in the aviation sector.

“While compassion is a virtue, deterrence is a duty. Going forward, every passenger and airline staff must understand that safety rules are non-negotiable, and enforcement must be blind to status, influence, or public sympathy,” Oteri stressed.

NAS also welcomed the Minister’s directive for a retreat to retrain aviation security personnel and review airline staff conduct, noting that improved crisis management, unbiased enforcement, and respect for human dignity during interventions will go a long way in restoring public trust in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

The Association urged the NCAA, FAAN and airline operators to follow through on the planned reforms, ensure transparent monitoring of enforcement, and intensify public awareness campaigns on passenger conduct and penalties.

“Air travel is a shared responsibility. Passengers must respect safety protocols; airlines must treat customers with professionalism; and regulators must apply the law equally. If these principles are upheld, the unfortunate incidents of recent weeks will serve as a turning point for safer, fairer skies,” Oteri said.

 In its contribution, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) strongly condemned the treatment of passengers involved in recent airline incidents, describing certain actions by airport and airline personnel as “a clear affront on human dignity” and a breach of both Nigerian and international human rights standards.

Speaking at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, reaffirmed the NHRC’s commitment to protecting the dignity of all persons, regardless of the circumstances, and demanded urgent reforms in the aviation sector to prevent a repeat of such violations.

Ojukwu stated: “@Torture and inhuman treatment are absolutely prohibited,” stressing that the prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment was an absolute right that cannot be suspended under any circumstances.

He cited Nigeria’s obligations under the 1999 Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Against Torture, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The NHRC boss noted that acts such as physical assault, stripping a person naked, public shaming, and unnecessary exposure of intimate body parts as seen in one of the incidents, amounted to torture under Nigeria’s Anti-Torture Act, 2017.

The Commission further condemned the recording and online dissemination of such incidents, calling it “a secondary form of harm and further degrading treatment.”

The NHRC boss charged airlines as a matter of responsibility to ensure their operations and personnel do not contribute to rights violations.

He added: “@Proper protocols and de-escalation training could have produced different results in both incidents,” urging aviation authorities to mandate comprehensive human rights training for all airline and airport staff, and to sanction any entity found to have breached rights protections.

He called on the Ministry of Aviation and other aviation regulators to immediately review protocols for handling unruly passengers to ensure they comply with human rights standards including rights to dignity, safety, fair hearing, and freedom from torture.

Ojukwu also urged prosecutorial and investigative agencies to swiftly prosecute any individuals directly implicated in human rights abuses under the Anti-Torture Act, while pledging support to all victims in line with its statutory mandate.

He disclosed that NHRC has issued an advisory to all aviation authorities and stakeholders on the right to dignity and protection against torture in aviation operations in Nigeria., noting that the advisory aims to safeguard both passengers and airline staff from human rights violations during flight operations.

The NHRC boss assured that the Commission would continue to monitor developments to ensure accountability in both cases.

He insisted that: “Our duty is not only to protect the rights of passengers, but also those of crew members and airline staff.”

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