Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced the withdrawal of criminal complaints in several recent high-profile cases of unruly behaviour at Nigerian airports, citing compassion and lessons learned by all parties involved.
In a statement on Wednesday, Keyamo revealed that consultations with aviation stakeholders led to decisions impacting Ms. Comfort Emmanson, Ibom Air, music legend Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1), and crew members of ValueJet.
For Emmanson, arrested after an incident aboard an Ibom Air flight on August 10, 2025, Keyamo said the airline agreed to drop its complaint after she expressed “great remorse.”
Police have been instructed to secure her release from Kirikiri Prison this week, while the Airline Operators of Nigeria will lift her lifetime flying ban.
In KWAM 1’s case, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) reduced his flight ban to one month and withdrew its criminal complaint.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria will also appoint him as an ambassador for airport security awareness.
Similarly, ValueJet’s Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba will regain their licences after serving a one-month ban and completing a mandatory professional reappraisal.
Keyamo further directed aviation agencies to hold a retreat next week to retrain security personnel on managing disruptive passengers and de-escalating tense situations, while airlines will conduct internal sessions to improve staff conduct toward passengers.
“These decisions were taken purely on compassionate grounds,” Keyamo stated, emphasising that safety and security remain paramount.
“We have decided to draw a line after these clemencies.”
