An Ikeja Magistrate Court in Ogba, Lagos, on Wednesday discharged Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of unruly behaviour and assault on an Ibom Air flight.
Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami freed Emmanson after the police withdrew the five-count charge against her.
Keyamo orders Ibom Air to drop charges against Emmanson
The development followed an announcement by Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), ordered Ibom Air to withdraw criminal charges against Emmanson, who was alleged to have refused to comply with safety instructions on switching off her phone, assaulted crew members, and even tried to use a fire extinguisher as a weapon, on Sunday, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.
Keyamo made this on Wednesday in a post via his X handle, ordering the case against the passenger be withdrawn today.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has imposed a lifetime flying ban on Emmanson, who board Ibom Air flight Q9 303, over what it called “one of the most severe cases of unruly behaviour witnessed this year.”
“She bluntly refused to comply until the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement, after which a fellow passenger seated beside her took the phone and switched it off,” the airline said.
Emmanson was first arraigned on Monday and granted bail of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum. She was remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Centre after failing to meet the bail conditions.
At Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutor Oluwabunmi Adeitan informed the court of “new developments that necessitated the withdrawal of the case” and presented an application to that effect, which the court granted.
