NCAA seeks eyewitness accounts in response to Ibom Air flight altercation
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has made a public appeal for witnesses aboard the Ibom Air Uyo-Lagos flight involved in last Sunday’s altercation to come forward.
This call aims to gather firsthand accounts to assist in the ongoing investigation.
Mike Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, shared the request through a post on the Authority’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
He urged anyone who witnessed the events leading to the fracas to contact him via direct message or email at michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng
“Once verified that you were actually a passenger on that flight, we can discuss and try to understand other perspectives to this issue,” Achimugu stated, highlighting the importance of fairness. He underscored, “In the interest of justice and fairness, it is necessary to hear both sides of the story.”
While acknowledging the unruly behavior exhibited during the flight, Achimugu emphasized the authority’s determination to hold all responsible individuals accountable.
He noted that NCAA officers in Lagos would conduct a comprehensive fact-finding mission in collaboration with police and other security agencies to address the matter.
“One hopes that lessons are learned from all of these events and that necessary adjustments and improvements are implemented by all stakeholders — passengers, airline staff, aviation security, etc.,” he remarked, expressing hope for a positive outcome from the incident.
Describing the situation as “a test for the system,” he pointed out that such events expose operational gaps despite stringent regulations, prompting authorities to identify and rectify vulnerabilities in safety protocols. “At the end of it all, the message remains the same — in aviation, it is safety first, safety second, and safety third,” he concluded.
This follows a viral incident where passenger Comfort Emmanson was seen attacking flight attendants and confronting security officials aboard an Ibom Air flight.
The airline stated that the situation escalated when the passenger refused to follow safety procedures, including turning off her mobile phone, which endangered the safety of those on board.
In response to her actions, Ibom Air has since imposed a travel ban on Emmanson, prohibiting her from flying with the airline in the future.
Following the altercation, she was arraigned and is currently remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos.
Source: LEADERSHIP
