Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed Ibom Air to withdraw all criminal charges filed against passenger Comfort Emmanson, who was recently embroiled in an in-flight altercation.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Keyamo also announced that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had agreed to lift the lifetime flight ban earlier imposed on Emmanson, following his intervention. The decision came alongside a separate resolution to reduce the flight ban placed on popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, known as KWAM 1, from indefinite suspension to a one-month
period.
Emmanson’s case stems from an incident aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos on Sunday, August 10, 2025. Video clips widely circulated on social media showed her in a heated exchange with a female flight attendant.
During the struggle to remove her from the aircraft, parts of her body were inadvertently exposed. The incident led to her arraignment and remand in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison, as well as the imposition of a lifetime no-fly ban by the AON.
Her arrest and the swift punitive actions sparked public outcry, with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and several civil society organisations condemning what they described as an unfair and disproportionate response.
Keyamo disclosed that, after consultations with Ibom Air, the airline agreed to withdraw its complaint. He stated that Emmanson had shown “great remorse” during her police interview in the presence of her lawyer. “Once the complaint is withdrawn, the Commissioner of Police at the Airport Command and the Police Prosecutor will take the necessary steps to facilitate her release from Kirikiri within this week,” the minister assured.
The minister further explained that the AON, following his appeal, had also agreed to lift Emmanson’s lifetime ban, with details of the resolution to be announced later.
On the KWAM 1 case, Keyamo said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) would reduce his ban to one month. The decision followed multiple appeals from well-meaning Nigerians and the musician’s public apology over an August 5 incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, during which he allegedly obstructed a ValueJet aircraft’s movement.
Keyamo described both incidents as regrettable but noted that valuable lessons had been learned for all stakeholders in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
