Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has explained why the Federal Government dropped charges against Ibom Air passenger Comfort Emmanson.
In a statement, Falana said the case against the female passenger was withdrawn because the government refused to prosecute fuji star Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, “with suitable criminal charges.”
According to the senior advocate, by doing so, the government “has lost the moral authority to pursue every disruptive passenger who commits a crime at any of the country’s airports.”
The senior advocate also expressed concern about how the government is handling the matter involving K1 over his recent actions at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
He lamented that the government hastily accepted the 68-year-old’s apology and granted him a pardon without allowing the police to conclude their investigation.
“Since citizens have equal rights, obligations, and opportunities before the law, the Federal Government will henceforth be accused of subjecting any unruly passenger to discriminatory treatment on the ground that K1 De Ultimate was ‘pardoned’ without any criminal trial whatsoever,” Falana added.
Emmanson was arrested on August 10 after an incident aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos. She allegedly refused to switch off her mobile phone before take-off and ended up assaulting a flight attendant. Ibom Air placed a lifetime travel ban on her.
Minister of aviation and aerospace development Festus Keyamo later directed the withdrawal of the case after she expressed remorse. He also revealed that appeals from stakeholder groups led to the lifting of the lifetime ban.
Emmanson was freed from Kirikiri Prison after a magistrate struck out the charges.
“I’ve been released from prison, but I’m still in pain due to how I was treated. I just need some rest and medical treatment before giving out my version of the event,” she wrote on Instagram.
