The Federal Government and airline operators have agreed to lift the lifetime flying ban placed on an Ibom Air passenger, Comfort Emmanson, and cut the suspension of Fuji music icon Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM 1) to one month.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this via his official X account on Wednesday, stating that the resolution followed consultations with aviation stakeholders, appeals from concerned individuals, and expressions of remorse from both passengers.
Keyamo said Ibom Air has withdrawn its criminal complaint against Emmanson, who has been in Kirikiri Prison since the August 10, 2025 incident, while the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) agreed to lift her lifetime ban. She is expected to be released within the week.
For Wasiu Ayinde, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will shorten his ban to one month and drop its complaint. Keyamo added that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) will appoint him as an ambassador for airport security protocol.
“In the case of the unruly passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, on the Ibom Airline on Sunday, the 10th of August, 2025, I have conferred with Ibom Airline to withdraw the complaint against her today. When the police took her statement in the presence of her lawyer, she exhibited great remorse for her conduct.
“Subsequent to the withdrawal of the complaint by the complainant, the CP of Airport Command and the police prosecutor will immediately take the remaining steps to facilitate her release from Kirikiri Prisons within this week. I have also conferred with the leadership of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and appealed to them to lift the lifetime flying ban imposed on her, to which they agreed. The details of the resolution will be made public by the AON subsequently,” the statement read.
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Keyamo said the licences of the ValueJet flight crew involved in the Wasiu Ayinde case, Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba, will be restored after they serve the same one-month ban, followed by a mandatory professional reappraisal.
- The pilots had earlier been suspended by the NCAA for taxiing with people on the runway.
He stressed that the decisions were made on compassionate grounds and do not signal a soft stance on aviation misconduct, adding that safety and security remain top priorities for both the government and the industry.
