Anietie Udobit, Abuja
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has denied involvement in the detention case against Ibom Air passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson.
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Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, explained that the authority only intervenes when necessary and within its mandate.
Achimugu said in the case involving Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, better known as K1 De Ultimate, or Kwam 1, “The airline did not activate its right to take the passenger to court. As a result, the NCAA petitioned relevant authorities to prosecute the passenger, issuing an advisory to the Airline Operators of Nigeria to have the passenger banned,” Achimugu said.
However, in the Ibom Air case, where a passenger assaulted the airline’s staff member, he explained that the carrier immediately exercised its right to take up the matter in court.
“Maybe because their staff had been assaulted, the airline immediately activated its right to take up the matter, and it went to court, so the NCAA is not involved in the case of the Ibom Air passenger,” he said.
Achimugu stressed that both cases highlight that the aviation system is being tested and that “there’s enough blame to go around FAAN, AVSEC, cabin crew, passengers.”
He emphasised that unruly behaviour is unacceptable globally and stressed the importance of passengers obeying cabin crew instructions for safety.
He noted that in the Ibom Air incident, other passengers reportedly seized and turned off Emmanson’s phone during the confrontation.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria had prior imposed a no-fly list ban on the passenger Comfort Emmanson aboard the Ibom Air flight inbound Lagos from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
The AON, in a statement on Monday by its spokesperson, Obiora Okonkwo, imposed a lifetime no-fly ban on Emmanson across all AON member airlines, effective immediately.
The association also warned that similar unruly behaviour would face the same consequences.