In an effort to ease tensions within Nigeria’s aviation sector, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, has announced the formal withdrawal of the criminal complaint against Ms. Comfort Emmanson, following her involvement in an incident aboard an Ibom Airline flight on August 10, 2025.
In an official press statement released on Wednesday, the Minister said the decision came after extensive consultations with stakeholders in the aviation industry, as well as a review of all circumstances surrounding the incident. He cited the remorse expressed by Ms. Emmanson during her statement to the police, the appeals of well-meaning individuals, and the broader lessons learned from the episode as key factors influencing the decision.
“When the Police took her statement in the presence of her lawyer, she exhibited great remorse for her conduct,” Keyamo said. “Subsequent to the withdrawal of the complaint by the complainant, 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.”
The Minister also revealed that he had successfully appealed to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to lift the lifetime flying ban previously imposed on Ms. Emmanson. The AON has agreed, with further details expected to be announced in due course.
In addition to Ms. Emmanson’s case, the Minister addressed a separate high-profile incident involving renowned musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (popularly known as KWAM 1). The flight ban imposed on KWAM 1 will be reduced to one month, and the criminal complaint lodged against him is to be withdrawn. The musician will also be engaged as an ambassador to promote proper conduct at airports.
Further disciplinary actions affecting staff and flight crew involved in the ValueJet incident were also outlined, including a one-month suspension and mandatory professional reappraisal for the pilots involved.
As part of a broader strategy to prevent similar incidents in the future, the Minister directed all relevant aviation and complementary agencies to organize a retreat beginning next week. The retreat will focus on retraining aviation security personnel and re-evaluating staff conduct protocols. Airline staff conduct will also be scrutinized in dedicated sessions.
“These decisions were taken purely on compassionate grounds,” Keyamo emphasized, while noting that this clemency should not be mistaken for leniency going forward. “We are also sending a clear message that we take safety and security in the aviation sector very seriously, and we have decided to draw a line after these clemencies.”
The statement concludes with a commitment to balancing accountability with fairness, as the government moves to restore public trust and order in the aviation sector.
PRESS STATEMENT
1. In the last 48 hours, I have been in consultation with critical stakeholders in the Aviation Sector and those involved in the unfortunate incidents regarding the unruly behaviours of certain individuals at our airports of recent.
2. 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.
3. 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.
5. 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:
THE CASE OF IBOM AIRLINE AND MS. COMFORT EMMANSON
(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.
(b) Subsequent to the withdrawal of the complaint by the Complainant, 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.
(c) 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.
THE CASE OF VALUEJET AND WASIU AYINDE MARSHALL (KWAM 1)
(d) In the case of KWAM 1, the NCAA is to reduce his flight ban to a one-month period. FAAN will also work with the music star with a view to engaging him as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol going forward.
(e) Having publicly demonstrated penitence, the NCAA is also to withdraw its criminal complaints against KWAM 1 earlier lodged with the Police.
(f) 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. The details will be announced by the NCAA.
AIRLINE OPERATORS, AVIATION AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
6. I have directed all relevant Aviation agencies in collaboration with other complementary agencies outside aviation to IMMEDIATELY begin a retreat NEXT WEEK to properly retrain and prepare our Aviation security personnel on how to deal with errant and disruptive passengers and how to deescalate potentially explosive situations. The retreat will be fully covered by the Press with the opportunity to ask all the relevant questions.
7. The Airlines will also have their own session when the conduct and attitude of their staff towards members of the travelling public will be in full focus.
FINAL COMMENTS
8. These above decisions were taken by Government and the airline operators purely on COMPASSIONATE grounds as Government will never pander to base sentiments, politically-motivated views or warped legal opinions when clear encroachment of our laws are involved.
9. We are also sending a CLEAR MESSAGE that we take safety and security in the aviation sector very seriously and we have decided to draw a line after these clemencies.
FESTUS KEYAMO, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK)
Hon. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
