An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ogba, Lagos, has discharged Comfort Emmanson, the Ibom Air passenger accused of unruly behaviour and assault on a cabin crew member.
Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami on Wednesday struck out all five counts after the prosecution withdrew the case.
Prosecuting counsel Oluwabunmi Adeitan told the court that both the complainant and the airline were no longer interested in pursuing the matter. She said the directive came from the police authorities.
“The complainant and the nominal complainant have lost interest in the case and have directed the police to withdraw it,” Adeitan told the court.
Emmanson had pleaded not guilty when she was first arraigned. She was accused of disrupting peace on the flight, assaulting a crew member, and behaving in a manner capable of breaching public order. She was granted N500,000 bail with two sureties in like sum but was remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Centre after failing to meet the bail conditions.
The incident happened on August 10 on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos. She was arraigned on August 11 and placed on an indefinite no-fly list by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).
Before the court’s decision, minister of aviation and aerospace development Festus Keyamo announced that after consultations with stakeholders, all parties agreed to resolve the matter.
“This decision comes after reviewing the incidents, considering appeals from well-meaning individuals, and noting the remorse shown by those involved,” Keyamo said.
Ibom Air also withdrew its complaint.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) later clarified that it did not charge or ban Emmanson, saying the airline acted independently. NCAA’s director of public affairs and consumer protection Mike Achimugu said, “One would expect that at the end… the ban could be shortened or even removed altogether.”
The incident came just days after Fuji musician KWAM 1 was banned from flying with ValueJet for allegedly refusing to surrender a suspected alcohol flask during a flight.
