The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has explained why Ibom Air passenger who allegedly assaulted the crew members, Comfort Emmanson was remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, while Fuji music legend Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as Kwam 1, who reportedly disrupted a ValueJet flight in Abuja last week, is free.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, said the two incidents were different.
He said; “There is no comparison here; it’s not a case of oranges and oranges. In the Kwam1 incident, the airline did not activate its rights to take the passenger to court, so the NCAA did what it was supposed to do by petitioning the authorities to petition the passenger.
“In the Ibom Air incident, maybe because their staff had been assaulted, the airline immediately activated its right to take up the matter, and it went to court.”
He noted that the NCAA was not directly involved in Emmanson’s case, whereas in Kwam 1’s situation, the authority issued an advisory to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to ban him from flights.
Achimugu further clarified that, contrary to earlier reports, Kwam 1 was not placed on a six-month ban but on an indefinite ban untill investigation was completed and outcomes is suitable for lifting.
On why Emmanson was placed on a no-fly life ban, Achimugu said it was within the legal rights of airline operators to take such action noting that Emmanson’s actions endangered the planes at the airport.
He explained that the particular aircraft involved in the incident had already been scheduled for another flight, and further disruptions were likely inevitable if the passenger had not be bundled out.
He added; “We have a lot of flight disruptions in Nigeria because we lack capacity. There aren’t enough aircraft in the country at the moment to meet passenger demand. So, while managing the limited capacity we have, any risk to an aircraft is unacceptable. People spend huge sums leasing or buying aircraft — do you want to destroy them?
“If anything had happened to that plane yesterday, would she have been able to afford the repairs, beyond the cost?.”
While Achimugu assured that the case would be handled fairly, he warned that no form of unruly behaviour by passengers would be tolerated.
He warned; “The point I am trying to make is that no matter the provocation, rest assured that you can always file your complaints with the NCAA, and it will be dealt with. On our part, we will ensure to see the end of it and that there is fairness on every side.”
In a post on his X handle on Tuesday on the same incident, he requested all passengers who were onboard at the time of the incident to come out and share what they saw.
He said; “Any person who was a passenger on that flight and witnessed the events that led to the fracas should, as a matter of urgency and fairness, reach out to me via DM or email at michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng.
“Once verified that you were actually a passenger, we can discuss and understand other perspectives to this issue. In the interest of justice, it’s necessary to hear both sides of the story. Of course, this does not negate the exhibition of unruly behaviour and its ramifications, but it will ensure that every other person who was culpable down the line is held accountable.”
He added; “It is a test for the system. No matter how fine regulations are, human behaviour will always be unpredictable. When these events occur, we are able to see the gaps and pluck loopholes.”
