Minister Keyamo cites compassion; witness disputes airline’s version of events
By Fresh Facts Staff Reporter
Reprieve has come for Fuji music legend Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as Kwam-1, and Ms. Comfort Emmanson, the female passenger at the centre of a high-profile airport incident. Both were granted leniency yesterday following interventions by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and relevant aviation authorities.
Court Strikes Out Case Against Emmanson
At an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami discharged Ms. Emmanson after prosecutors withdrew a five-count charge of assault and damage to property. She had earlier been remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, Lagos, over an altercation on board Ibom Air flight Q1513 from Uyo to Lagos on August 10.
The charges alleged that she slapped two flight crew members, struck one with slippers, damaged an aircraft divider curtain valued at $2,500, and tore a wig worth ₦110,000. Prosecutor Inspector Oluwabunmi Adeitan informed the court that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Airport Command, had directed the unconditional withdrawal of the case.
While striking out the matter, Magistrate Salami cautioned:
“You might not be this fortunate in another matter in future. I hope you will learn from this experience and become a better person.”
In an Instagram post from her handle, @soft_commy, Emmanson expressed gratitude for public support but said she was still in pain from her ordeal. She promised to tell her side of the story after rest and medical treatment.
Her sudden fame has, however, attracted opportunists—multiple fake Instagram accounts have sprung up bearing her name and photos, apparently to scam unsuspecting supporters.
Keyamo Explains Government’s Position
Minister Festus Keyamo announced on X that the Airline Operators of Nigeria had lifted Emmanson’s travel ban after she “exhibited great remorse” in the presence of her lawyer.
For Kwam-1, who was barred from flying after an August 5 confrontation at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) reduced his ban to one month. The musician was accused of obstructing safe aircraft operations after insisting on boarding with a bottle of liquid, in violation of Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) will now collaborate with Kwam-1 as an unpaid “airport security protocol ambassador” — a form of community service, Keyamo said. The NCAA will also drop criminal complaints against him, while the suspended pilots involved in the incident will have their licences restored after a month and professional reappraisal.
Keyamo stressed that the pardons were “purely on compassionate grounds.”
Eyewitness Blames Airline Crew
In a twist to the Emmanson saga, a co-passenger, Mr. Ogebe David, who shared details via the verified X account Foundational Nupe Lawyer (@egi_nupe), claimed the airline mishandled the situation from the start.
According to Ogebe, there were only two air hostesses on the flight. The first, “kind and professional,” politely requested that Emmanson switch off her phone. The second approached “in a huff,” allegedly humiliating the passenger after she explained she did not know how to turn off the device due to faulty buttons and difficulty reading.
Ogebe alleged that the second hostess refused to assist, told Emmanson to “better switch off that phone immediately,” and later threatened to “deal with her” before disappearing into the cockpit. He said some passengers initially misunderstood the exchange but calmed down when eyewitnesses explained what had happened.
“In-flight, Hostess 1 continued to treat Emmanson courteously, even helping her store belongings before landing,” Ogebe recounted. He added that the confrontation reignited after landing, but he only learned of the scale of the fallout when videos of the arrest surfaced online.
A Compassionate End — For Now
With the court case dismissed, travel bans lifted, and official apologies exchanged, both Kwam-1 and Emmanson now face the court of public opinion. For the aviation authorities, however, the incidents have renewed debate about passenger conduct, crew professionalism, and the balance between enforcement and empathy in Nigerian air travel.
