Oshiomhole, Kwam1, Emmanson: Unruly Passengers Raise Challenges For Nigerian Airlines
High-profile incidents involving unruly passengers have recently put Nigeria’s aviation sector under scrutiny. Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Fuji legend Kwam 1, and an Ibom Air passenger Comfort Emmanson all clashed with airline staff in recent months. The incidents raised questions about safety protocols, enforcement, and how airlines should handle unruly passengers.
The most serious case happened on August 10, 2025, when Emmanson reportedly refused to switch off her phone before takeoff on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos. She insisted airplane mode was enough. After landing, Emmanson allegedly assaulted the purser, tore off her wig, slapped her several times, and tried to use a fire extinguisher as a weapon. Ibom Air staff and airport security forcibly removed her from the aircraft and she was eventually remanded in Kirikiri Prison. Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria banned her for life but later reversed the decision.
About a week earlier, Fuji star Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (Kwam 1) brandished a flask at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and tried to block a ValueJet aircraft from taxiing after he was denied boarding with a liquid suspected to be alcohol. The NCAA banned him for six months, but reduced it to one month after he apologised. He was also made an ambassador for airport security amid backlash.
In June, Senator Adams Oshiomhole arrived late for his Lagos-Abuja flight and demanded immediate boarding. When Air Peace staff refused, he allegedly assaulted them, climbed a baggage counter, and blocked the terminal. No formal sanctions were imposed on him.
Aviation safety expert Michael Daniel, who spoke to THE WHISTLER regarding Emmanson’s case, admitted that modern aircraft wiring reduces interference risks but said switching off devices eliminates all risk. “We don’t take chances with safety,” he told THE WHISTLER.
But the different treatment applied to different cases drew criticism from Nigerians. Kwam 1’s reduced sentence and appointment as security ambassador contrasted sharply with Emmanson’s initial remand in prison. This led to allegations that the NCAA was biased against Emmanson.
Lagos aviation lawyer, Chukwudi Ihenacho, who also commented on Emmanson’s case explained that “the moment a crew member gives a safety-related instruction, it becomes binding under the law. The passenger’s personal interpretation of the rule is irrelevant.”
In its reaction, the Nigerian Bar Association questioned whether lifetime bans are legal and called for impartial investigations. But Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Uwemedimo Nwoko, backed the NCAA’s legal action, while rights lawyer Mfon Peters said the matter could have been handled without going to court.
Retired pilot Captain Musa Yakubu blamed poor communication: “Cabin crew are the airline’s frontline ambassadors. The way you explain a rule can make the difference between compliance and confrontation.”
Meanwhile, recent reports indicate that unruly air passenger incidents are not restricted to Nigeria.
The International Air Transport Association reported one unruly passenger incident per 568 flights in 2023, up from one per 835 flights in 2019. The Federal Aviation Administration, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and IATA all accept airplane mode as sufficient if airlines verify no interference. Nigeria’s NCAA follows this but lets carriers set stricter rules.
Legal experts believe the incidents show gaps in passenger education and inconsistent enforcement. While Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Act makes it illegal to disobey crew instructions or endanger safety, the Act also requires the crew members to act reasonably.
Some lawyers noted that the AON lacks authority to impose lifetime bans, noting that only regulators or courts can do this. In the Ibom Air incident, many saw Emmanson as a victim of overzealous crew members.
Oshiomhole, Kwam1, Emmanson: Unruly Passengers Raise Challenges For Nigerian Airlines is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
