The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified why Comfort Emmanson, the Ibom Air passenger accused of assaulting crew members, was charged to court and remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Centre, while Fuji legend Wasiu Ayinde, a.k.a. Kwam 1, faced no such legal action after reportedly disrupting a ValueJet flight in Abuja last week.

The Uyo–Lagos incident on Sunday sparked public outrage and claims of selective justice after viral videos showed Emmanson slapping and kicking airline and airport officials, including a female hostess, allegedly for refusing to switch off her phone before take-off. She was later dragged off the plane by security.

Days earlier, Kwam 1 was accused of obstructing ValueJet Flight VK 201 to Lagos on August 5, standing in front of the aircraft to prevent take-off after a dispute over a flask he carried onboard.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, said the cases were different.

“It’s not oranges and oranges,” he explained. “In Kwam 1’s case, the airline did not activate its right to take the passenger to court. The NCAA petitioned the authorities and advised the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to ban him from flights.
In the Ibom Air case, the airline immediately took legal action, likely because their staff had been assaulted.”

Achimugu stressed that contrary to earlier reports, Kwam 1’s ban is indefinite pending investigation, not six months. He added that airlines have the legal authority to issue a lifetime no-fly ban, as Ibom Air did with Emmanson.

“We have limited aircraft capacity in Nigeria, so any threat to flight safety is unacceptable. If anything had happened to that plane, could she have afforded the cost?”

He noted that removing Emmanson was necessary to prevent further disruptions, as the aircraft was scheduled for another flight.

While assuring that the case would be handled fairly, Achimugu warned that unruly passenger behaviour will not be tolerated.

He also appealed for witnesses from the flight to contact him directly via DM or email at michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng to provide their accounts for a balanced investigation. NCAA officers in Lagos will also meet with police and other security personnel involved.

“This is a test for the system,” Achimugu said. “Regulations may be fine, but human behaviour is unpredictable. Incidents like this expose gaps that must be addressed. In aviation, it’s safety first, safety second, and safety third.”