By Olatunbosun Obafemi
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified its role in two recent high-profile passenger incidents, stressing that its interventions are guided strictly by its mandate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, explained that in the case of Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, the airline involved chose not to press charges.
“The airline [in K1’s case] did not activate its right to take the passenger to court. As a result, the NCAA petitioned relevant authorities to prosecute the passenger, issuing an advisory to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to have him banned,” Achimugu said.
In contrast, he noted that Ibom Air immediately exercised its right to pursue legal action after one of its staff members was assaulted by a passenger, identified as Comfort Emmanson.
“Maybe because their staff had been assaulted, the airline immediately activated its right to take up the matter, and it went to court, so the NCAA is not involved in the case of the Ibom Air passenger,” he said.
Emmanson was arraigned at a Lagos court on the same day as the incident and charged with assault. She was ordered remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending the fulfilment of her bail conditions, which reportedly include a bond of N5 million and two sureties in like sum. As of the latest update, she remains in custody awaiting trial.
The AON later imposed a lifetime no-fly ban on her across all its member airlines, both domestic and international.
Achimugu stressed that both incidents tested Nigeria’s aviation system, with “enough blame to go around FAAN, AVSEC, cabin crew, passengers.” He warned that unruly behaviour would not be tolerated anywhere in the world, noting that aviation safety regulations are “not sentiment-based” and exist for the protection of all passengers.
He also confirmed reports that other passengers aboard the Ibom Air flight seized and switched off Emmanson’s phone during the altercation.
The AON said future cases of similar misconduct would attract the same strict sanctions. K1 De Ultimate himself was banned for six months by the NCAA over his alleged unruly behaviour at Abuja airport last Tuesday.
