Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body of indigenous airlines, has criticised the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) response to increasing assaults on aviation workers.
The AON has also placed Ms. Comfort Emmanson, a passenger aboard Ibom Air flight Q9 303 from Uyo to Lagos on August 10, 2025, on indefinite No Fly list, saying that the association would not continue to allow unruly behaviours among air travellers, irrespective of their status.
Also, the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) has called for adequate medical and financial compensations to the affected aviation workers, reports Daily Independent.
A statement by Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, Spokesperson, AON, yesterday, said that the recent unruly bahaviours among some of the travelling public exposed the vulnerabilities in the security response by the Aviation Security (AVSEC), a department under FAAN.
It, therefore, urgently called on FAAN to review and tighten security procedures at all airports across the country to prevent recurrence.
The body also condemned the violent incident, saying that after reviewing the detailed statement issued by Ibom Air on the incident, it commended the carrier for its swift and professional handling of the unfortunate event.
AON regretted that such incidents had become one too many with the most recent being the one involving King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1), the Fuji musician on ValueJet and the unruly behaviour of Sen. Adams Oshiomhole towards the members of staff of Air Peace.
The statement added: “The incident, which Ibom Air described, from the initial refusal by the passenger to comply with safety instructions regarding mobile phone usage that led to the brutal physical assault on Ibom Air crew members and the attempted use of a fire extinguisher as a weapon, constitutes one of the most severe cases of unruly passenger behaviour witnessed this year.
“This was not just disruptive; it was a sustained, violent attack that placed the lives of crew, passengers, and the integrity of the aircraft itself at risk. This behaviour is unacceptable.
“Therefore, effective immediately, the AON has placed Ms. Emmanson on its ‘No Fly’ list indefinitely. She is hereby banned from flying with any AON member either domestically or internationally for life.”
AON declared that going forward, anyone who exhibited such behaviour would suffer similar consequence, just as it said it recognised the rights of passengers to express their grievances.
The body however said that such actions must follow due process, maintaining that it was committed to protecting its employees, passengers, equipment and to maintain the highest safety standards.
Just last week, Tuesday August 5, 2025, KWAM1 was accused of assaulting a pilot, crew members and ground staff of ValueJet Airlines.
KWAM 1 had attempted to stop the Lagos bound flight from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, from departing, following the refusal of the airline crew to allow him onboard as a result of a substance suspected to be alcohol and above the permitted 100ml in his possession.
KWAM 1 was subsequently blacklisted from flying locally and internationally for the next six months by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), after a directive from Mr. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, while the licences of the captain and co-pilot were also suspended.
Also on Sunday, Ms. Emmanson, a female passenger from Uyo Airport to Lagos, was seen assaulting a cabin crew and other ground staff at the Lagos airport.
Ibom Air said her conduct posed a serious threat to the safety of its crew, passengers, and aircraft.
Besides, the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) has called for adequate medical and financial compensations to the affected aviation workers.
The union also called on the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to urgently review existing protocols on violent passenger behaviour and reinvigorate enforcement methods at the aerodromes, especially with regards to protection of aviation workers from criminal harm makers in the form of unwanted unruly passengers.
Comrade AbdulRazaq Saidu, Secretary General, ANAP, made these requests yesterday in a statement to aviation journalists following the growing unruly behaviours against airport workers, including cabin crews by some passengers.
Just last week, Tuesday August 5, 2025 to be precise, Mr. Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal 1 (KWAM1), the Fuji musician, was accused of assaulting a pilot, crew members and ground staff of ValueJet Airlines.
KWAM 1 had attempted to stop the Lagos bound flight from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, from departing, following the refusal of the airline crew to allow him onboard as a result of a substance suspected to be alcohol and above the permitted 100ml in his possession.
KWAM 1 was subsequently blacklisted from flying locally and internationally for the next six months by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), after a directive from Mr. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, while the licenses of the captain and co-pilot were also suspended.
The union raised the alarm of the worrisome danger and risks aviation workers face in the course of their daily duties, stressing that the reports and video footage in both incidents showed clearly the physical and psychological assault and trauma visited on both ground staff and air crews.
The union expressed worries about the unprovoked, unbaiting and uncivilised behaviour, saying that these called for actions from airlines, airports and regulatory authorities to curb and contain such incidents.
It challenged the NCAA to review existing protocols on violent passenger behaviour, especially with regards to protection of aviation workers from criminal harm makers in the form of unwanted unruly passengers.
ANAP also requested from airlines and the airport authority adequate medical attention and financial compensations for the staff, ground and air, who had suffered any form of harm arising from these incidents, noting that this would demonstrate their duty of care towards their employees.
The statement added: “It is important to warn the travelling public that such indecent behaviour is highly unwelcome in the aviation world. And we call on the airlines, airports and regulatory authorities to apply maximum sanctions (including legal prosecution) to act as a deterrent.
“We assure all aviation workers of the readiness and capability of ANAP to stand up for each and all. We equally urge all aviation workers to regard ANAP as home and to call for help at any time of distress.”
A statement yesterday by Ibom Air had accused Emmanson of violent behaviour onboard its flight.
The statement emphasised that shortly before take-off from Uyo, Ms. Emmanson was instructed in line with standard aviation safety procedures to switch off her mobile phone, but refused to comply until the pilot-in-command made an announcement, after which a fellow passenger seated beside her took the phone and switched it off.
The statement expressed that upon arrival in Lagos, Ms. Emmanson waited for all other passengers to disembark and then proceeded to confront the purser who had earlier instructed her.
The statement added: “She walked up to the unsuspecting purser, stepped on her, forcibly tore off her wig, removed her glasses and threw it to the floor, and used her footwear to assault her.
“She slapped her several times and when the other cabin crew member tried to intervene, she slapped her too. She then attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon, an act that could have damaged and grounded the aircraft.”
This violent act, Ibom Air said led to the alert of airport security by the pilot-in-command, but regretted that the arrival of Ibom Air security personnel did not deter the passenger, as she continued to attack them as well.
She was also purported to have slapped the ground supervisor after she was removed from the aircraft by force.
Subsequently, she was removed from the ramp and taken into custody by FAAN security and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation.
The airline said that it had since submitted a report on the incident to the NCAA and placed a travel restriction on Ms. Emmanson, who would no longer be permitted to fly on any of its aircraft.
It reiterated a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of unruly or violent conduct that may threaten the safety of passengers, crew, or equipment.
The statement added: “Such behaviour will be met with the strongest possible response, including legal action and permanent restriction from our services.
“We commend the bravery and professionalism of our crew in handling this situation under extremely challenging circumstances, as well as the swift support from airport security and the Nigeria Police.”
Ibom Air Passenger Charged With Assault, Remanded In Kirikiri Prison
Meanwhile, Comfort Emmanson, a passenger aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, has been charged to court for allegedly assaulting airline staff.
She has since been remanded at the Kirikiri correctional facility in Lagos.
The update was shared by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Moshood confirmed the legal action taken against Emmanson.
He wrote: “The more reason the flying public should be more careful, the unruly passenger on Uyo-Lagos bound Ibom Air, Miss Comfort Emmanson, has been charged to court and she’s now cooling off in Kirikiri.”
The incident has drawn public attention, particularly as it follows a recent and unrelated event involving Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (popularly known as KWAM 1). The artist was reportedly involved in a disruption on a ValueJet flight after being deboarded, but no formal charges have been reported in his case.
Moshood’s post has since generated mixed reactions on social media, with some users questioning the consistency of legal responses in similar cases.
One X user, Aveire, commented: “And why wasn’t Kwam1 charged to court? Is there a special set of citizens that is above the law?”
Another user, Paul, added: “Especially the nobodies such as Miss Comfort. Oshiomhole got away with it; Kwam 1 got away with it. Reminds one of Dele Farotimi’s book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’.”
As the matter continues to unfold, the incident has generated conversations around accountability and the equal application of the law.
Obi Faults Ibom Passenger Arraignment, Says It’s Double Standard
Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s (LP) 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, yesterday, criticised what he described as “double standards” in the Nigeria justice system, insisting that it is a “poison” that must not be allowed to fester.
Obi also said that “justice in Nigeria must never be about who is poor or powerless versus who has influence or access to government officials.”
His remarks followed an ugly drama between an Air hostess aboard a stationary Ibom Air and a passenger, Miss Comfort Emmanson, who was captured in a viral video assaulting the former in what appears to be an action done out of frustration.
The video also showed security agents stripping and forcing the passenger out of the Airbus.
Recall, only recently, popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde Adewale Anifowoshe, also known as Kwam 1 was captured in a viral video blocking a ValueJet aircraft from taking off, over the refusal of officials to allow him on board the plane with a flask containing suspected alcohol.
Few days after the Kwam1 incident, Labour Party’s 2023 flagbearer has condemned the arraignment and detention at Kikiriki prison of Miss Emmanson, another airline passenger, involved in an altercation with aviation officials.
Obi on his X handle wrote, “The unfortunate and dishonourable drama witnessed in Ibom Air has again brought to the fore the double standards in our lives and the inadequacies of our various security operatives in acting decently and in a civilised manner.
“I want to start by sincerely apologising to the Ibom Air crew who were assaulted by Miss Comfort Emmanson. We must, as a society, learn and uphold good conduct, as it is a true measure of success and decent living.
“However, I must equally strongly condemn the dehumanising treatment meted out to this young woman. Stripping her publicly was not only unnecessary but also represents the height of rascality and abuse by our agencies.
“It is unacceptable that she was hurriedly taken to court and remanded, while someone who visibly held a plane from taking off and put hundreds of lives at risk is still at large, with government agencies and some state officials speaking up for him to be forgiven.
“This case is not just about one young woman, it is about the double standards that poison our justice system. Justice in Nigeria must never be about who is poor or powerless versus who has influence or access to government officials.
“While Ms. Comfort Emmanson is in jail, the other offender who committed a more severe offence has not been held to the same standard. He has neither been arrested nor arraigned in any court.
“We must build a country where justice is fair, equal, and not selective, especially against women who are seen to be weaker.
“This young lady’s offence does not compare to the crimes committed daily by those parading themselves as “excellencies” while looting public funds without consequence, and yet they have not been stripped or dehumanised in the name of justice.
“We must end this selective treatment of the poor or less privileged. If justice must be served, it should be served to all, and it must be served fairly.
“The Minister of Aviation and other relevant authorities owe the public an explanation for these double standards in their adjudication. Justice must be just, or it is nothing at all.
“The rule of law based on justice for all must remain the guidepost of our democracy.”
