NCAA denies double standards in KWAM 1, Emmanson airline incidents

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has responded to growing public criticism over perceived double standards in its handling of two recent in-flight misconduct cases  one involving Fuji star Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, and the other involving Comfort Emmanson, a passenger aboard Akwa Ibom Air.

KWAM 1 was caught on video last week disrupting a ValueJet flight and reportedly assaulting the pilot, Oluranti Ogoyi. While he later issued a public apology, critics have accused the NCAA of treating the matter lightly — allegedly due to his close ties with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for whom KWAM 1 is a known praise-singer.

In contrast, Emmanson was immediately arrested and charged to court the same day by Akwa Ibom Air over what was described as “unruly behaviour” on board. She remains in custody pending trial.

Addressing these comparisons, NCAA spokesperson Michael Achimugu explained that the authority does not possess prosecutorial powers and can only refer cases to appropriate law enforcement agencies if the airline fails to act.

“There’s nothing to put together here. The Ibom Air passenger was arrested and charged to court by the airline,” Achimugu told the press.

“The airline [ValueJet] has exercised its right to sue the unruly passenger to court. So long as that case is in court, the NCAA has no role to play in it.

“But in the KWAM 1 case, since the airline did not sue or take the passenger to court, the NCAA, which also does not have prosecutorial powers, decided to do the right thing by criminally referring the case to the Attorney General and Inspector General of Police.”

Achimugu emphasized that if ValueJet had pressed charges against KWAM 1 on the day of the incident, NCAA would not have been involved beyond its regulatory duties.

“Because they didn’t do that, the NCAA did what it had to do,” he added. “In this case [Emmanson], the airline immediately arrested the lady and sued her in court. So that’s not the NCAA’s fault.”

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Despite the referral, no known legal proceedings have yet been initiated against KWAM 1.

However, the NCAA imposed a six-month flight ban on the musician from both local and international airlines a sanction that carries no clear financial penalty and is seen by many as insufficient.

Meanwhile, the NCAA has suspended the licences of both the ValueJet pilot and co-pilot, a move that has drawn outrage due to its significant professional and financial impact, especially in contrast to KWAM 1’s relatively lenient treatment.

The ongoing controversy is the latest in a series of aviation-related incidents involving high-profile Nigerians, including Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who was recently caught on camera disrupting Air Peace operations without facing repercussions.