The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed that a verified eyewitness, who sat directly beside passenger Comfort Emmanson during the August 10 Ibom Air Uyo–Lagos flight, has come forward with a first-hand account of the incident that has dominated public discourse in recent days.
The NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, disclosed this on Wednesday in a post on X.com. This follows his earlier appeal on Tuesday for other passengers on the flight to provide verifiable accounts in the interest of justice and fairness.
Achimugu said the witness contacted him, submitted a boarding pass for verification, and provided testimony shedding new light on events before the plane’s departure.
“The passenger seated right next to the lady in the viral videos has contacted me (also sent in his boarding pass) and given his account of the events that transpired on the aircraft before departure. Some aspects of his testimony offer an opportunity to look at other perspectives of this case, especially the behaviour of other actors involved and the manner of passenger handling before the flight took off,” he stated.
According to Achimugu, the witness intends to release a personal statement later in the day. He added that the NCAA had issued a Letter of Investigation (LOI) to Ibom Air and would invite both the airline and other eyewitnesses to a meeting.
“Although he says he will release a statement later today, the Authority has issued an LOI to Ibom Air and will invite both airline and eyewitnesses to a meeting. One is glad that a truly verifiable witness has come forward, and his statement makes me glad not to have listened to most of the fake audios and claims flying around social media. There is a lot to unbundle, and we will get to the root of it. Rest assured that every culpable party in this case will be held accountable,” he wrote.
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The NCAA spokesperson reiterated the commitment of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, and the Authority to protecting the rights of all aviation stakeholders.
“Every data gathered from conversations and investigations is to assist in identifying the gaps and fixing them. Mediation is an acceptable form of conflict resolution, and the Minister has shown leadership as usual. The Authority will continue to protect the rights of all aviation consumers,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has withdrawn its criminal complaint against Ms. Emmanson, who had been accused of unruly behaviour aboard the Ibom Air flight. The government also reduced the flight ban earlier imposed on Fuji music star Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1.
Keyamo announced the decisions on Wednesday, explaining that they followed a review of the incidents, appeals from well-meaning Nigerians, and consideration of the remorse shown by those involved. He also revealed that Ibom Air had agreed to withdraw its own complaint against Ms. Emmanson.
