By Obinna Uballa
An Ikeja Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba, Lagos, on Wednesday discharged Ms. Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of assaulting a crew member aboard an Ibom Air flight, following the Federal Government’s decision to drop the criminal case against her.
Presiding Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami struck out the five-count charge, which included allegations of disrupting peace on board, assault, and conduct likely to breach public order, after Police Prosecutor Oluwabunmi Adeitan informed the court that the complainant and the airline were no longer interested in pursuing the matter.
The development comes after Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, announced on Wednesday that the case had been withdrawn on compassionate grounds following consultations with aviation stakeholders and appeals from well-meaning Nigerians.
Emmanson, who had pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and was remanded in Kirikiri Prison after the August 10 incident, reportedly expressed remorse during police interrogation in the presence of her lawyer. Keyamo said Ibom Air agreed to withdraw its complaint, while the police took steps to secure her release.
The minister also confirmed that the leadership of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has been encouraged to lift the lifetime flight ban earlier imposed on Emmanson, with details of the resolution to be announced by the association.
In the same statement, Keyamo revealed that the government has reduced the flight ban on Fuji star Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1) from an indefinite period to one month, following a separate airport incident, and that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) would also withdraw its criminal complaint against him.
Keyamo stressed that while the government has shown clemency in these cases, safety and security in the aviation sector remained non-negotiable
