The Federal Government and airline operators have agreed to lift the lifetime flight ban on Ibom Air passenger Comfort Emmanson and reduce the suspension of Fuji star Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM 1) to one month.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo announced the decision on Wednesday via X, saying it followed stakeholder consultations, public appeals, and expressions of remorse from both passengers.
Ibom Air has also withdrawn its criminal complaint against Emmanson, who has been held at Kirikiri Prison since the August 10, 2025 incident. The Airline Operators of Nigeria has scrapped her ban, and she is expected to be freed this week.
For Wasiu Ayinde, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will cut his suspension to one month and withdraw its complaint, while the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria will name him an ambassador for airport security protocol.
“In the case of the unruly passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, on the Ibom Airline on Sunday, the 10th of August, 2025, I have conferred with Ibom Airline to withdraw the complaint against her today. When the police took her statement in the presence of her lawyer, she exhibited great remorse for her conduct.
“Subsequent to the withdrawal of the complaint by the complainant, the CP of Airport Command and the police prosecutor will immediately take the remaining steps to facilitate her release from Kirikiri Prisons within this week. I have also conferred with the leadership of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and appealed to them to lift the lifetime flying ban imposed on her, to which they agreed. The details of the resolution will be made public by the AON subsequently,” the statement read.
Keyamo said the licences of ValueJet pilots Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba, involved in the Wasiu Ayinde case, will be reinstated after serving the same one-month suspension, followed by a mandatory professional reappraisal.
The NCAA had earlier suspended the pilots for taxiing with people on the runway.
Keyamo stressed that the resolutions were reached on compassionate grounds and should not be seen as a soft stance on aviation misconduct, reaffirming that safety and security remain top priorities for both the government and the industry.
