The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has defended what many have called “selective justice” after Comfort Emmanson, a female passenger accused of assaulting Ibom Air crew members, was remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre — while Fuji legend Wasiu Ayinde, Kwam 1, walked free after allegedly disrupting a ValueJet flight.
The two incidents — Emmanson’s Uyo–Lagos altercation on Sunday and Kwam 1’s reported obstruction of an Abuja–Lagos flight on August 5 — have fueled public outrage and questions over equal treatment.
Videos of Emmanson showed her slapping and kicking airline and airport staff, including a female air hostess, after refusing multiple instructions to switch off her phone before take-off. Security personnel later dragged her off the plane.
In contrast, Kwam 1’s case did not reach court. NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs, Mike Achimugu, told Channels TV’s The Morning Brief that the difference lay in the airlines’ decisions.
“In Kwam 1’s incident, the airline did not activate its right to take him to court. We petitioned the authorities and advised the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to ban him. In the Ibom Air case, the airline went to court immediately after their staff were assaulted,” he said.
Achimugu clarified that Kwam 1 is under an indefinite ban, not six months, pending investigations, while Emmanson has a lifetime no-fly ban from airlines — a right carriers can exercise under Nigerian aviation law.
He stressed that unruly passengers pose a serious risk to Nigeria’s already limited aircraft fleet.
“Any risk to an aircraft is unacceptable. If anything had happened, could she pay for the damage?” he asked.
The NCAA has called for eyewitnesses from Emmanson’s flight to come forward, promising a fair probe but warning that “unruly behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Achimugu said the incident is a “test for the system” and an opportunity to close security loopholes in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
