The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified that the case involving Comfort Emmanson, a passenger accused of assaulting Ibom Air crew members, is different from the incident involving Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1.
NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, made this known during an X Space session on Monday, stating that Ibom Air independently took action without regulatory directives.
He explained that the airline had the legal right to act based on the evidence available at the time. “In this case, the airline exercised its rights to do what they needed to do, right? And AON, based on some of the evidences already available, because while the investigations are ongoing, you can still be working with what is available to you,” Achimugu said.
He highlighted the seriousness of the assault, noting, “When you see a passenger hitting a cabin crew member in the way the lady was doing, and the fight she had with the people who came to restrain her, you may have to agree that the airlines had every right to announce a ban. Yeah, of course, one would expect that at the end of all of these things, maybe the ban could be shortened or even removed altogether.”
The NCAA spokesperson stressed that airline staff are “also human beings” deserving of respect and safety, just like passengers. “Nobody deserves to be beaten up or hit in the manner that occurred in this flight,” he added.
According to him, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) acted within its rights, drawing lessons from previous situations where lack of evidence hindered disciplinary measures. He cited an earlier case in which three intoxicated passengers disrupted a flight between London and Nigeria, but the absence of documented evidence prevented the NCAA from taking decisive action.
“I just want to put it out there very clearly that the NCAA did not issue an advisory to AON, and AON is within its right to ban any passenger, to blacklist a passenger. Just to make this clear,” he said.
Achimugu also pointed out that Ibom Air pursued legal action against Emmanson, unlike ValueJet in KWAM 1’s matter, where charges were not pressed, prompting the NCAA to petition relevant authorities.
He further explained that cabin crew responsibilities go beyond passenger comfort to include safety and security. “Blocking the path of somebody who has assaulted you is also a form of restraint. She wanted to restrain the passenger without laying hands on her, she’s within her rights to do so,” he said, adding that methods of restraining unruly passengers can evolve with time.
okay.ng reports that while the investigation continues, the NCAA believes that the incident serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between passenger rights and airline crew safety, underscoring the industry’s responsibility to ensure order during flights.
