The Federal Government has withdrawn the criminal complaint against Ibom Airline offender, Comfort Emmanson, while reducing the flight ban on fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (Kwam-1) to one month.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, following his intervention, having been in consultation in the last 48 hours with critical stakeholders in the aviation sector and those involved in the unfortunate incidents regarding the recent unruly behaviours of Comfort and Kwam-1 at two different airports.
Last week, Kwam-1 had an altercation with the ValueJet Airline at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while Comfort had a spat with the Ibom Airline crew on Sunday.
“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,” Keyamo said.
“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.
“Therefore, after reviewing the entire incidents, including appeals made by well-meaning individuals and remorse shown by the actors, the following decisions have been reached: (a) 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, Keyamo said 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,” Keyamo said.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has also been directed to reduce the flight ban on Kwam-1 to one month.
Keyamo said the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) will also work with the music star with a view to engaging him as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol going forward.
The minister said, having publicly demonstrated penitence, the NCAA is also to withdraw its criminal complaints against KWAM 1 earlier lodged with the Police.
Keyamo said 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. He said that the details will be announced by the NCAA.
