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14 Aug, 2025
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Airport incidents: Pardon for Emmason, Kwam-1
@Source: thenationonlineng.net
Assault case struck out, ban lifted Fuji musician for community service Reprieve came the way of Fuji Musician Wasiu Ayinde (Kwam-1) and Ms Comfort Emmason yesterday. They were left off the hooks by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. Kwam-1 and Ms Emmanson were involved in airport incidents which led to the imposition of sanctions on them, including the remand of Ms Emmanson at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos. An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court yesterday discharged Ms Emmason after the prosecution withdrew a charge of assault against her. Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami struck out the charge after the police said it would no longer pursue the five-count charge. The magistrate admonished Emmanson to exercise wisdom in whatever she does in future. “This is because you might not be this fortunate in another matter in future. “I hope you will learn from this experience and become a better person,” he said The police said Ms. Emmanson (Bob), on August 10, while onboard Ibom Aircraft No. 5N-BXP parked at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Ikeja “did behave in an unruly and disorderly manner by shouting on top of your voice, abusing and assaulting the flight crew and refusing to disembark from the aircraft after landing.” The charge said she “did assault one Juliana Edward by slapping and hitting her cheeks”, and allegedly assaulted one Jokpame Sagun “by hitting her face with slippers.” She was accused of “willfully” damaging the aircraft divider cotton valued at $2,500, and tearing a braided wig valued at N110,000. Prosecuting counsel, Inspector Oluwabunmi Adeitan, said she was directed by the Commissioner of Police (CP), Lagos Airport Command, to withdraw the charge unconditionally. The magistrate then struck out the charge and discharged the defendant. Emmanson, in a post believed to be her Instagram account @soft_commy, wrote: “Thank you so much for all the prayers, love, and support. I’ve been released from Prison, but I’m still in pain due to how I was treated. Read Also: IGP orders investigation into KWAM I Airport saga “I just need some rest and medical treatment before I give out my own version of the event. “Thank you so much, my lovely friends and supporters. I really appreciate y’all from the bottom of my heart. God bless y’all. Thank You, My Great God!!!” Already, several fake accounts bearing her name with her photos have surfaced on Instagram as internet fraudsters seek to exploit the situation for their benefit. Keyamo: why Emmanson, Kwam-1 were pardoned Keyamo, stated earlier in a post on his official X handle that the Airline Operators of Nigeria had lifted the ban placed on Emmanson. “When the police took her statement in the presence of her lawyer, she exhibited great remorse for her conduct,” the minister said. In the case of KWAM 1, the minister said the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will reduce his flight ban to one month. The musician, on August 5, was prevented from boarding a ValueJet aircraft with a bottle of liquid, which he said was water, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. His reaction allegedly obstructed the safe operation of the aircraft, in violation of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023. He later apologised. Kwam-1 was seen ducking as the aircraft moved to take off, which led to the suspension of the pilot and co-pilot. Keyamo said the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) will work with the music star “with a view to engaging him as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol going forward.” The minister said the NCAA is also to withdraw its criminal complaints against KWAM 1. For the pilots, he said the NCAA is to restore their licenses after a one-month ban, after undergoing some mandatory professional re-appraisal. He noted that the decisions were taken by the government and the airline operators purely on compassionate grounds. Keyamo later clarified that Kwam-1 will not be paid, and that his role as an ambassador, which he described as a global practice, is a form of community service. A passenger’s account A passenger who claimed to have boarded the Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos blamed the airline for mishandling the Emmanson incident. The passenger, Mr Ogebe David, who shared a picture of his boarding pass containing his seat number and other details onboard the flight Q1513, dismissed claims that Emmanson refused to switch off her phone before take-off. Ogebe’s account of the incident, shared on X through a verified account of Foundational Nupe Lawyer @egi_nupe, painted a vivid picture of what transpired in the aircraft. According to the passenger, there were only two air hostesses on the plane, probably because it was a small plane. He said: “One of the hostesses approached us and gave us the regular briefing for passengers sitting on the emergency exit. This hostess was exceptionally kind, polite and amiable. “After the briefing, she asked Ms. Emmanson politely twice to switch off her phone. I noticed thereafter that Ms. Emmanson was fiddling with her phone with some uncertainty. “After hostess 1 left to continue her duties, hostess 2 came with an almighty huff and told Ms Emmanson to switch off her phone in a very high voice. “Ms Emmanson, in a low voice, tried to explain to hostess 2 that the buttons on her phone for switch-off were not working, so she did not know how to switch off the phone. “Hostess 2 rebuffed her and kept insisting that she switch off the phone. Hostess 2 then told her that the phone she was holding was an iPhone, which did not require buttons to switch off. “The lady now asked the hostess to assist her in switching off the phone, and hostess 2 replied: ‘I am not touching your phone’. Hostess 2 now told her to go to settings and from there click on general.” “The lady now responded in an even lower voice saying: ‘Please I cannot read and don’t know what you said I should do. Can you just help me?’ Hostess 2 now: ‘Please I don’t have time for your nonsense. Better switch off that phone immediately’. “The gentleman sitting to my left in seat 14A and I were flabbergasted when we heard this and could not believe that an air hostess could speak so condescendingly and unnecessarily humiliate a passenger, perhaps because she was a single female. “We then intervened and asked the gentleman sitting next to the lady by the window of her row to assist her. He collected the phone and was assisting her. “Ms Emmanson then started asking hostess 2 if there was anything wrong with being unable to read and why she had to humiliate her like that to the whole public. “Hostess 2 now told Ms Emmanson to keep quiet or else she would deal with her. At this point, Ms Emmanson started cursing and told her she could do nothing to her. “Hostess 2 then said: o’Ok, you will see’ then she left in a puff and proceeded to the cockpit and never came back. “Some passengers sitting afar who did not know what truly transpired were shouting for Ms Emmanson to switch off her phone. “However, the passenger in seat 14A and I rose up stoutly and defended her and when they heard our explanations they all calmed down and the flight took off.” Ogebe said while they were airborne, Emmanson was upset and simmering. She kept on discussing the situation with the gentleman on her right till the plane landed. She was obviously quite annoyed. “I also noticed that Hostess 2 kept peeping at our row throughout the flight. She stayed upfront in the plane most of the time if I recollect correctly. “Hostess 1 on the other hand was completely oblivious of the raging storm (at least I thought so) and was kind, polite and professional throughout. “Hostess 1 gave extra water to Ms Emmanson when she asked for it in-flight and also helped her with bringing out and returning her food tray when snacks were served and also as we were approaching landing. Hostess 1 also helped put away some of Ms Emmanson things in the cabin above before landing.” Onground in Lagos, Ogebe said disembarkation was done in rows and before it got to their turn, Emmanson moved to the back, probably to use the toilet. He narrated how he had joked with his neighbour that they better left the plane before a war broke out but hoped that nothing of such would happen. “Disembarkation was being done row by row, and just before it got to our turn, Miss Emmanson exited her seat to the back of the plane and I presumed she went to the toilet. “We happily disembarked, and I forgot all about the spat in the plane until I started seeing all the videos and statements flying unabatedly.”
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