The Federal Government has withdrawn its criminal complaint against Ms. Comfort Emmanson, accused of unruly behaviour on an Ibom Air flight, and reduced the flight ban imposed on Fuji music star Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1).
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, announced the decisions on Wednesday after consultations with aviation stakeholders and a review of both incidents. He said the resolutions were influenced by appeals from well-meaning individuals and the remorse shown by those involved.
Ibom Air has agreed to withdraw its complaint against Emmanson, who was arrested over an August 10 incident in which she refused to turn off her phone, became physically aggressive, and struck a flight attendant. The Airport Command and police prosecutor will now work to secure her release from Kirikiri Prison, and the Airline Operators of Nigeria will lift her lifetime flying ban.
On the August 5 ValueJet incident, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority will reduce KWAM 1’s ban to one month. FAAN will also engage him as an ambassador for airport security protocols, and the NCAA will withdraw its criminal complaint. The same one-month ban applies to ValueJet’s Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba, who will regain their licenses after a mandatory reappraisal.
Keyamo said a retreat will be held next week to retrain aviation security personnel in handling disruptive passengers, while airlines will have sessions to address staff conduct towards travellers. He stressed the clemencies were granted on compassionate grounds, warning that the government will not overlook clear violations of aviation laws in the future.
Source: https://punchng.com/
