We didn’t ban Ibom Air passenger, case  different from KWAM 1 – NCAA

We didn’t ban Ibom Air passenger, case  different from KWAM 1 – NCAA

 

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says it neither charged nor banned Comfort Emmanson, the passenger who assaulted Ibom Air staff on a flight from Uyo to Lagos.

It stated this on the X space on Monday through Mike Achimugu, the its director of public affairs and consumer protection.

According to the statement, the authority does not dictate airline prosecutions, and the court will decide the outcome.

Achimugu said the Ibom Air case is different from that of Wasiu Ayinde, a Fuji artiste also known as KWAM 1, as NCAA had time to investigate and advise the airline.

On August 5, KWAM 1, who was onboard a ValueJet plane, was seen drinking from a flask and was approached by a flight attendant who suspected that the content was alcohol — a substance prohibited onboard aircraft in Nigeria.

The artiste was asked by the attendant to surrender the flask, but KWAM 1 refused, saying it was medication prescribed by his doctor.

Following his refusal to give up the flask, the flight crew deboarded the celebrity, who proceeded to the front of the aircraft in an attempt to prevent it from taking off.

On August 7, the NCAA placed KWAM 1 on a no-fly list for six months, but the next day, the authority changed it to an indefinite ban pending the outcome of a full investigation.

In the Ibom Air case, Achimugu said the airline acted independently based on available evidence.