Comfort Emmanson, the passenger who allegedly assaulted a staff member of Nigerian airline Ibom Air, has been released from the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
Emmanson regained freedom from the correctional facility two days after she was arraigned in a Magistrates’ Court, following her action towards the airline staff at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
Magistrate olanrewaju salami of the Samuel Ilori courthouse, situated in Ogba, Lagos, struck out the five-count charge of alleged assault and other offences in a brief hearing on Wednesday.
The court heard from the police prosecutor, Olubunmi Adeitan, who informed the Magistrate of the decision by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos Airport Command, to withdraw the charges unconditionally.
She explained that this decision was based on additional facts that became available to the police after the defendant’s arraignment on Monday.
The lead defence counsel, Adams Otakpe, acknowledged being aware of the development and stated that he had no objection to the withdrawal.
In his ruling, the Magistrate expressed satisfaction with the submissions made by both the prosecution and the defence, and accordingly ordered that the charge be struck out.
He further advised the 26-year-old defendant to exercise greater wisdom in future situations, regardless of any provocation, noting that she had, in some ways, contributed to the incident.
Earlier, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced its decision to withdraw the charges against the passenger.
Keyamo also disclosed that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has lifted the lifetime flight ban previously imposed on her.
The minister confirmed that Ibom Air agreed to drop its complaint after Emmanson demonstrated remorse during a police interview.
In a related development, Keyamo stated that the Federal Government has reduced the six-month flight ban imposed on Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, who was involved in a separate altercation aboard a ValueJet flight.
The Fuji star is expected to collaborate with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria as an ambassador for airport security awareness, promoting proper conduct among travelers.
According to Keyamo, “While both passengers and airline staff made mistakes, valuable lessons have been learned.”
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