The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has come out in defence of Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) over their handling of the case involving Comfort Emmanson, a passenger accused of assaulting flight crew during a scheduled service.
Addressing the matter on Monday in an X Space discussion, Mike Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, emphasised that Ibom Air was acting within its legal and operational rights when it announced a ban on Emmanson.
“In this case, the airline exercised its rights to do what they needed to do, right? And AON, based on some of the evidences already available… you can still be working with what is available to you,” Achimugu stated.
According to him, evidence from the incident — including the alleged physical confrontation with the cabin crew and the struggle with other passengers who intervened — justified the airline’s decision. He acknowledged that the ban could be shortened or lifted after investigations conclude, but underscored that no airline staff member should be subjected to violence in the course of duty.
He also revisited a past example in which three intoxicated travellers disrupted a flight between London and Nigeria, but due to lack of documented evidence, no sanctions were imposed. “It became a case of he said, she said,” he said.
Clarifying further, Achimugu stressed that “the NCAA did not issue an advisory to AON,” reinforcing that the operators’ union was fully within its rights to blacklist unruly passengers.
He contrasted the Ibom Air case with that of Fuji icon KWAM 1, where ValueJet did not pursue charges despite alleged misconduct, prompting the NCAA to petition relevant authorities.
Achimugu reiterated the vital role cabin crew play in safeguarding passengers, explaining that non-physical restraint — such as blocking an aggressor’s movement — falls within acceptable operational boundaries.