- Comfort Emmanson Locked Up, Kwam 1 Banned — FG Gives Dicey Explanation
- Mike Achimugu explained that the two incidents are not comparable
- Clarified that Kwam 1 was not placed on a six-month ban but on an indefinite ban
The Federal Government has clarified why Comfort Emmanson, a female passenger accused of assaulting Ibom Air crew members, was remanded, while Fuji music legend Wasiu Ayinde, also known as Kwam 1, who reportedly disrupted a ValueJet flight in Abuja last week, was not subjected to court action.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Ibom Air incident, which took place on the Uyo to Lagos route on Sunday, sparked public outrage and allegations of selective justice.
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Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Mike Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), explained that the two incidents are not comparable.
“There is no comparison here; it’s not a case of apples to apples. In the Kwam 1 incident, the airline did not exercise its right to take the passenger to court, so the NCAA fulfilled its role by petitioning the relevant authorities to address the passenger,” he said.
“In the Ibom Air case, possibly because their staff were assaulted, the airline promptly exercised its right to pursue legal action, which led to the court case,” he added.
He noted that the NCAA was not directly involved in Emmanson’s case, but in Kwam 1’s situation, the Authority issued a directive to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to bar the musician from flights.
He also clarified that, contrary to earlier reports, Kwam 1 was not placed on a six-month ban but on an indefinite ban pending the completion of investigations.
Achimugu explained that airline operators have the legal authority to impose no-fly life bans, which is why Emmanson was subjected to such a restriction.
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