Falana: FG dropped Ibom Air passenger case after letting KWAM 1 off without trial

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has accused the Federal Government of double standards in the handling of recent cases involving unruly conduct at Nigeria’s airports.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Falana said the government’s decision to withdraw charges against Comfort Emmanson, an Ibom Air passenger accused of assaulting airline officials, was directly linked to its refusal to prosecute Fuji music icon, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, for similar alleged misconduct.

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According to Falana, the Federal Government “lost the moral right” to prosecute any passenger for disruptive behaviour at airports after it hastily pardoned KWAM 1 over his recent incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

He criticised authorities for accepting the musician’s apology without allowing the police to conclude investigations or bring any formal charges.

“Since citizens have equal rights, obligations, and opportunities before the law, the Federal Government will henceforth be accused of subjecting any unruly passenger to discriminatory treatment on the ground that KWAM 1 was ‘pardoned’ without any criminal trial whatsoever,” Falana stated.

The activist argued that the unequal handling of such cases undermines public confidence in the justice system, warning that future prosecutions of disruptive air passengers could be tainted by accusations of bias.