…Reduces K1 ban to one month
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the release of Comfort Emmanson, the passenger involved in an altercation aboard an Ibom Air flight on 10 August, while overturning her lifetime flying ban.
The decision follows what the minister described as “valuable lessons learnt by all sides” from recent incidents of unruly behaviour at Nigerian airports.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Keyamo confirmed he had “conferred with Ibom Airline to withdraw the complaint against her today,” noting that Emmanson had “exhibited great remorse for her conduct” during police questioning.
The Commissioner of Police for Airport Command has been instructed to facilitate her release from Kirikiri Prisons this week.
The minister also revealed the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had agreed to lift the lifetime flight ban imposed on Emmanson after his personal appeal. “The details of the resolution will be made public by the AON subsequently,” the statement added.
In a seperate decision, musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1), who was involved in a separate airport incident, will have his flight ban reduced to one month.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will also withdraw criminal complaints against him, with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) considering engaging the artist as “an ambassador for proper airport security protocol.”
Keyamo emphasised these decisions were taken on “compassionate grounds,” but warned the aviation sector would now “draw a line” after these acts of clemency. “We are sending a clear message that we take safety and security in the aviation sector very seriously,” he stated.
The ministry has ordered immediate retraining for aviation security personnel, with a retreat scheduled next week to address “how to de-escalate potentially explosive situations” involving disruptive passengers. Airlines will also undergo separate sessions to review staff conduct towards travellers.
“These episodes have undoubtedly helped to raise public awareness about appropriate conduct within the aviation space,” Keyamo noted, while maintaining that “clear wrongs were committed by both the offending passengers and staff of the airlines involved.”
The minister confirmed affected ValueJet pilots would have their licences restored after a one-month suspension and mandatory retraining, with the NCAA overseeing the process. All decisions take immediate effect.
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