The federal government has announced the withdrawal of a criminal complaint against Ms Comfort Emmanson, an Ibom Air passenger arrested over alleged unruly behaviour, as well as the reduction of a flight ban on Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate or KWAM 1, to one month.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday morning.
He disclosed that this happened following consultations with key stakeholders in the aviation sector over recent incidents involving disruptive conduct at Nigerian airports.
According to the Minister, Ms Emmanson, who was arrested on August 10, 2025, after a confrontation aboard an Ibom Air flight, showed “great remorse” during a police interview in the presence of her lawyer.
As a result, Ibom Air has agreed to withdraw its complaint, with the Police expected to complete steps for her release from Kirikiri Prisons within the week.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has also agreed to lift the lifetime flight ban earlier imposed on her.
On the case of K1 and ValueJet, the Minister said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will cut the singer’s flight ban to one month, while also withdrawing its criminal complaint.
The singer will be engaged as an ambassador for airport security protocol.
Additionally, ValueJet’s Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba will have their licenses restored after serving a one-month suspension and undergoing mandatory professional re-appraisal.
Mr Keyamo stressed that the decisions were taken on “compassionate grounds” following appeals from well-meaning Nigerians and expressions of remorse by the parties involved.
He, however, warned that the government would not tolerate further breaches of aviation laws.
The Minister also directed relevant agencies to hold a retreat next week to retrain aviation security personnel on handling disruptive passengers and de-escalating tense situations, while airlines will separately review staff conduct towards travellers.
“We take safety and security in the aviation sector very seriously and have decided to draw a line after these clemencies,” Mr Keyamo said.
“These above decisions were taken by Government and the airline operators purely on COMPASSIONATE grounds as Government will never pander to base sentiments, politically-motivated views or warped legal opinions when clear encroachment of our laws are involved.
“We are also sending a CLEAR MESSAGE that we take safety and security in the aviation sector very seriously and we have decided to draw a line after these clemencies,” he concluded.