Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo confirmed the development on Wednesday through his official X account, revealing that the decision came after extensive consultations with stakeholders, public appeals, and expressions of remorse from both parties.

Emmanson, who had been held at Kirikiri Prison since her arrest on 10 August 2025, will be released this week following Ibom Air’s withdrawal of its criminal complaint. 

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has also agreed to remove the lifetime ban it placed on her. According to Keyamo, “When the police took her statement in the presence of her lawyer, she exhibited great remorse for her conduct.”

Battle for the Boarding Pass: Air Peace vs. Ibom Air on Key Nigerian Routes

The case of Comfort Emmanson began during a flight from Uyo to Lagos, when she reportedly refused to switch off her mobile phone during take-off, later escalating into an altercation with Ibom Air crew members. She was charged at the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court before being remanded.

In a separate incident, Wasiu Ayinde, known as KWAM 1, had faced a six-month no-fly sanction for allegedly attempting to board a ValueJet flight at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on 5 August 2025 with a flask suspected to contain alcohol. 

Reports say he refused to hand it over and proceeded to walk onto the tarmac, obstructing the aircraft’s movement.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had also suspended the licences of ValueJet’s Captain Oluranti Ogoyi and First Officer Ivan Oloba for taxiing while individuals were still on the runway. 

Under the new resolution, their licences will be reinstated after serving the same one-month suspension, followed by a professional reappraisal.

Industry bodies had earlier intervened, with the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) urging the NCAA to reconsider the pilots’ suspension, citing their clean professional records. 

However, some aviation law experts, including Professor Ismail Adua Mustapha, had warned that failing to prosecute KWAM 1 could harm Nigeria’s Grade A safety rating and breach obligations under international aviation rules, such as Annex 17 of the Chicago Convention.

Keyamo stressed that the decisions were made purely on compassionate grounds, stating they do not reflect a soft approach to aviation misconduct. He announced that KWAM 1 will now serve as an ambassador for airport security protocol, a role aimed at promoting awareness of proper conduct in aviation environments.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) will work with him to drive the campaign. The decision has divided public opinion, some view it as a smart way to turn a high-profile infraction into an educational effort, while others question the optics of appointing someone recently sanctioned to champion discipline in aviation spaces.

As part of the measures, a nationwide aviation security retreat will be held to retrain personnel on handling disruptive passengers and de-escalating tense situations. Airlines will also undergo targeted sessions to improve staff professionalism and passenger relations.

This partnership is aligned with Wakanow’s aim of delivering access to all local flight inventory in real-time and an all-year-round flight schedule. It also showcases her continuous commitment to the development of the domestic travel industry in Nigeria.

ValueJet is the latest airline to partner with Wakanow, joining its network and enabling Wakanow-connected customers to find and use bespoke solutions to support their specific travel needs and requirements.

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While speaking about the partnership, the Chief Executive Officer of Wakanow Nigeria, Mrs. Adenike Macaulay said, “As the foremost travel tech company in Nigeria and West Africa, this partnership for us is a reinforcement of our commitment to give our customers the best and to remain the Number one distribution partner to our Nigerian Airlines. We are constantly innovating around our customers’ travel needs and partner with relevant stakeholders to ensure that our customers enjoy a robust and seamless service offering.  Partnering with ValueJet who share in our vision of delivering a unique travel experience at a great value to our joint customers was certain.”

While corroborating the CEO, Mr. Oyedeji Ojo, the Group Chief Technology Officer, Wakanow Group, said, “Wakanow, as a leader in the Nigerian travel industry, has continued to bring value to air travelers through collaborations. We’re delighted to welcome ValueJet as a Partner and together, we will serve our customers with great flight inventories and concentrate on creating enhanced traveler experiences across all customer touchpoints”.

Speaking about the partnership, Trevor Henry, the Chief Commercial Officer of Value Jet, said, “We are happy to announce our strategic partnership with Wakanow, making history as the first travel company to provide ValueJet’s Live Inventory bookable in real-time thus enabling the delivery of a seamless booking experience for Wakanow and ValueJet’s customers. ”

Wakanow, Africa’s foremost travel tech agency, offers the best travel deals and experiences within the global travel industry to corporate and individual air travelers.

The Inaugural flight was the Lagos to Abuja flight out of the Muritala Muhammed Airport, on this flight was the Chairman, Adekunle Soname, Accountable manager/MD Captain Omololu Majekodunmi & other ValueJet executives gracing the first flight while giving them the ValueJet experience.

More routes like Benin, Yola, Jos, Kano, will be added to the existing destination in the coming weeks.

The existing routes will continue daily with plans to introduce more routes and frequency when its other aircrafts arrive.

The certificate was presented by the Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Shuaibu Nuhu at a formal ceremony held on the 22nd of September 2022 in his Abuja Office.

In attendance were the Senior Directors of the NCAA such as Director of Operations, Licensing and training standards, Captain Elisha A. Bahogo; the General Manager Standards, Captain Haruna Manassey and the General Manager Standards & Approvals, Engineer Zakary Maude.

The AOC was received by some top management executives of ValueJet such as the Accountable Manager/MD, Captain Omololu Majekodunmi, Chief Commercial Officer, Trevor Henry & Head of Quality & Safety, Labaeka Ibrahim.

This sparks a promising beginning as ValueJet’s commercial operations commences soon.