The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has distanced itself from the initial handling of the incident involving a female passenger, Comfort Emmanson, at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 last Sunday.

In a statement issued on Friday, FAAN clarified that its personnel were not involved in the early stages of the episode, which took place within the terminal managed by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited.

The altercation occurred at the foot of an aircraft between Emmanson and staff of Ibom Air.

The incident has since drawn widespread condemnation from Nigerians, who decried the alleged dehumanisation of the passenger by the airline’s staff.

“The MM2 Terminal is classified as a Private Tenant Restricted Area. FAAN AVSEC officers are responsible solely for passenger and baggage screening at designated checkpoints, while general terminal security operations are handled by Bi-Courtney’s security team,” FAAN stated.

The agency explained that its Aviation Security personnel only became involved after Emmanson was taken to the Crime Investigation and Intelligence Unit, known as “Tango City,” for official documentation, before being handed over to the Nigeria Police for prosecution.

FAAN reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, stressing that it continues to prioritise the training and retraining of its Aviation Security officers in line with standards set by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

“FAAN remains committed to the ongoing training and retraining of our AVSEC officers.

“Only institutions certified by the NCAA are authorised to conduct certification-related training for aviation personnel,” the statement added.

The authority also assured the public of its unwavering dedication to upholding the highest standards of safety, security, and professionalism across all airport facilities nationwide.