The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has stated that it is not involved in the legal case against Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of assaulting an Ibom Air crew member.
Mike Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday.
Achimugu explained that in cases involving unruly passengers, airlines have the right to pursue legal action independently. In this instance, Ibom Air chose to exercise that right immediately.
“Maybe because their staff had been assaulted, the airline activated its right and took the matter to court. The NCAA is not involved in the Ibom Air case,” he stated.
He compared the incident with another involving popular Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, also known as K1 De Ultimate. In that case, the airline opted not to press charges, prompting the NCAA to petition authorities for prosecution and issue an advisory to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) recommending a flight ban.
Achimugu noted that both situations highlight systemic issues in Nigeria’s aviation industry, pointing to shared responsibility among agencies such as FAAN, AVSEC, airline staff, and passengers.
He emphasised the global standard against unruly passenger behavior and the need for strict adherence to crew instructions for safety.
During the Ibom Air incident, passengers reportedly intervened by seizing and switching off Emmanson’s phone amid the confrontation.
Following the event, the AON imposed a lifetime no-fly ban on Emmanson across all member airlines.
The ban, announced Monday by AON spokesperson Obiora Okonkwo, took immediate effect, with the association warning that future incidents of similar misconduct would receive the same response.
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