Lawyer sues FG over ‘double standards’ in KWAM 1, Comfort Emmanson airport incidents

Ayodele Ademiluyi, a human rights lawyer, has instituted a suit against the federal government over the alleged “special treatment” of Wasiu Ayinde, the Fuji artiste popularly known as KWAM 1, in the recent airport controversy.

Other respondents in the suit are Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development; the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA); the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON); the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS); and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Speaking at a press conference, Ademiluyi said he initiated the suit to ensure accountability and protect public interest in the aviation sector.

The lawyer decried the “double standard treatment” of airport cases involving KWAM 1 and Comfort Emmanson, the Ibom Air passenger.

Ademiluyi said while Emmanson was arraigned and remanded in prison, KWAM 1 was neither arrested nor prosecuted but was given an ambassadorial role, despite both allegedly committing nearly identical offences.

“Our aviation system needs a complete overhauling. We cannot allow impunity to reign or degenerate into a banana republic where someone can stop a plane with their bare hands and walk away without consequence,” the lawyer said.

“It’s a gross imbalance. There was no arrest, no arraignment, and no prosecution of Mr. KWAM 1.

“In fact, he was rewarded with a brand ambassadorship for the aviation sector. What message does that send to the public?

“The honourable minister for aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN, in a widely circulated statement announced the withdrawal of charges by Ibom Air against Comfort Emmanson and designated both KWAM 1 and herself as “brand ambassadors” among many other compromises.

“However, the ‘peace deal’ has not addressed the issue of the maintenance of balance of the scale of justice, as the person of KWAM 1 is being serenaded instead of being arrested, arraigned and prosecuted.”

Background

On August 5, KWAM1 was onboard a ValueJet plane when a flight attendant, suspecting the content of his flask was alcohol, a substance prohibited on aircraft in Nigeria, approached him.

The flight attendant was said to have asked the musician to surrender the flask, but KWAM 1 refused, saying it was medication prescribed by his doctor.

Following his refusal to give up the flask, the flight crew removed the celebrity, after which he was seen in front of the aircraft in what looked like an attempt to prevent it from taking off.

On August 10, Emmanson clashed with Ibom Air officials on an Uyo to Lagos flight.

During the incident, she was forcefully removed from the aircraft with her clothes torn, leaving her partially nude.

On August 11, the police charged Emmanson, which led to her remand at the Kikiri prison in Lagos.

On Wednesday, Emmanson was released from the Kirikiri prison after the magistrate court struck out the five-count charge filed against her by the police.