The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has called on passengers aboard the Ibom Air Uyo–Lagos flight (IAN513) during last Sunday’s mid-air altercation to come forward with firsthand accounts to support its ongoing investigation.
NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu, made the appeal in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday.
He urged eyewitnesses to reach out via direct message or email at michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng.
“Once verified that you were actually a passenger on that flight, we can discuss and try to understand other perspectives to this issue,” Achimugu stated.
“In the interest of justice and fairness, it is necessary to hear both sides of the story.”
Achimugu stressed that while unruly conduct on board would not be excused, the authority was committed to ensuring that “every other person who was culpable down the line is held accountable.”
He revealed that NCAA officers in Lagos would conduct a fact-finding mission, engaging the police and other security operatives involved in the case.
“One hopes that lessons are learned from all of these events and that necessary adjustments and improvements are implemented by all stakeholders — passengers, airline staff, aviation security, etc.,” he said, describing the incident as “a test for the system.”
The altercation, which went viral on social media, showed passenger Comfort Emmanson confronting Ibom Air flight attendants and later engaging in a scuffle with airport security officers.
Ibom Air disclosed that the issue began shortly before take-off from Uyo when the passenger refused to turn off her mobile phone, in violation of standard aviation safety procedures.
In a statement, the airline said her conduct “posed a serious threat to the safety of our crew, passengers, and aircraft,” adding that she had been placed on a permanent no-fly list for all its flights.
Following her arrest, Emmanson was arraigned on Monday and remanded at Kirikri Correctional Centre in Lagos pending further court proceedings.