By Atoyebi Nike
The Federal Government has dropped its criminal case against Ms. Comfort Emmanson, accused of unruly behavior aboard an Ibom Air flight, and reduced the flying ban imposed on Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1).
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, SAN, announced the decisions on Wednesday after consultations with aviation stakeholders. He said the review considered public appeals and the remorse shown by those involved.
Ibom Air has agreed to withdraw its complaint against Ms. Emmanson, who was arrested over the August 10 incident, paving the way for her release from Kirikiri Prison this week. The Airline Operators of Nigeria will also lift her lifetime flying ban.
In KWAM 1’s case, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has reduced his suspension to one month, with plans for him to serve as an ambassador for airport security protocols. The same one-month ban applies to ValueJet’s Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba, pending mandatory professional reappraisal.
Keyamo said the clemencies were granted solely on compassionate grounds and stressed the government’s commitment to enforcing aviation laws. A retreat is planned for next week to retrain aviation security staff and improve passenger-airline relations.
