A public interest lawyer has filed a ₦500 billion lawsuit against the Federal Government, NCAA, Ibom Air, and others.
A public interest lawyer, Ayodele Ademiluyi, has filed a N500 billion lawsuit against the Federal Government, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and others over what he described as a breach of the rule of law in addressing two cases of aviation infractions involving King Wasiu Ayinde and Ms. Comfort Emmanson.
The suit, Ayodele Ademiluyi v. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria & Ors (FHC/L/CS/1632/25), seeks N500 billion in damages against the respondents, jointly and severally, including the Federal Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN; the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority; the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria; Ibom Air; King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal; ValueJet; and the Nigerian Correctional Service, which allegedly broke up Mr. Ademiluyi’s interview with Comfort Emmanson.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Thursday, Ademiluyi, who is also the convener of the Movement for Justice and secretary of the Radical Gender Movement in the Nigerian Bar Association, said the suit aims to hold accountable those responsible for the incident and ensure justice is served.
According to him, the incident highlights the need for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s aviation system. “Our aviation system needs a complete overhauling,” he said. “We cannot allow impunity to reign, and we cannot degenerate into a banana republic where someone can stop a plane with their bare hands and go scot-free.”
The suit lists as respondents the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Federal Minister of Aviation, and King Wasiu Ayinde, and seeks an order of mandamus to compel the authorities to take action against King Wasiu and others allegedly involved.
Ademiluyi also criticised the appointment of King Wasiu as a brand ambassador for the aviation industry, saying it sends the wrong signal.
“If someone can stop a plane with their bare hands and be appointed a brand ambassador, what message does it send to others?” he asked.
He stressed that the case is not just about King Wasiu but about the broader issue of impunity and lack of accountability in the aviation sector.
“The issues now go beyond the two national actors, or let’s say the two national recipients in this entire episode,” he said. “The collective interest of the polity is at stake.”
Ademiluyi further stated:“Our perspective is that there is a gross imbalance in the treatment of Comfort Emmanson and King Wasiu, popularly called Kwam 1. There was no arrest of Mr. Kwam 1, there was no arraignment of Mr. Kwam 1, there was no prosecution of Mr. Kwam 1. In fact, you are giving a brand ambassadorship of the aviation ideology.
“What I have done, which is to answer your question, is to join issues with both the state and non-state actors in this entire very horrible miasma and drama that we are passing through.
“I have since filed a 500 billion naira suit in public interest against, number one, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is, more or less, the Chief Executive Officer of the country, and who has refused, failed, and abandoned any attempts to arrest and prosecute Kwam 1.
“That is exactly the central point we are making, and we are going to be making through that court proceeding. Number three in that suit is the Federal Minister of Aviation.
“And, of course, the national person that is occupying that office, Mr. Festus Keyamo, his conduct, to say the least, has been so unbecoming of any person occupying that office. He has become, more or less, the spokesperson of Ibom Air. There was a time all the charges were put on him, on his ex-handler.
“We are asking for an order of mandamus. We also joined the Nigerian Police Force, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, and the Attorney General of Akwa Ibom State, who are persons who should have acted properly and wisely.
“We also joined our section of Airline Operators of Nigeria, who sat both as complainant, prosecutor, and judge, and gave a life ban. Of course, that life ban has been withdrawn. But the central issue is that Mr. Kwam 1 is walking the streets free. It’s a big slap on the rule of law.
“The fact is that the suit we have filed is a public interest action. The issues have now gone beyond the two national actors, or let’s say the two episodes of Kwam 1 as a person and Comfort Emmanson as a person. The collective interest of the polity is at stake.”
Meanwhile, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has announced the lifting of the lifetime flight ban placed on Ms. Comfort Emmanson and pledged to work with relevant aviation agencies to eliminate unruly passenger behaviour in air travel.
Ms. Emmanson allegedly exhibited unruly behaviour on Ibom Air flight QI 513 from Uyo to Lagos on 10 August 2025, leading to her arrest and detention. However, the federal government decided to withdraw the charges against her, leading to her release on Wednesday.
AON, in a statement signed by its spokesman and Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, yesterday, said the operators lifted the ban in response to overtures made by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo.
The operators also pledged to work with relevant aviation agencies to push a campaign against unruly passenger behaviour at airports, aiming to end the phenomenon which over the years has disrupted flight operations and pitted airlines against passengers.
AON said it was encouraged by the government’s statement that aviation safety and security would be taken very seriously, its decision to “draw a line” after the recent clemencies, and the proposed retreat to retrain AVSEC personnel and airline crew on handling unruly and disruptive passengers.
“This positive development has prompted AON to lift the life ban placed on Ms. Comfort Emmanson from flying with any AON-member airline for life,” the statement read.
The operators also called on relevant aviation agencies to immediately commence public sensitisation on the dangers and consequences of unruly behaviour at airport terminals and onboard aircraft, as spelt out in section 85 of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022, and Part 17 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023.
AON said it believes that incidents of unruly and disruptive behaviour at airports and onboard aircraft would greatly reduce if passengers were made aware that such conduct posed a danger to flight safety and is an offence under the law, punishable with a fine, imprisonment, or both.
According to AON, unruly behaviour includes but is not limited to: assaulting, intimidating, or threatening any flight or cabin crew member; using a mobile phone or other communication/electronic gadget onboard against crew instructions; smoking onboard or in non-smoking terminal areas; fighting or other disorderly conduct onboard or at the terminal; conduct constituting a nuisance to other passengers; disobeying lawful instructions issued by authorised staff; endangering the safety of flight operations; and tampering with smoke detectors or other aircraft equipment.
The operators urged the government to reiterate the powers of the pilot-in-command or an AVSEC officer, as provided in the regulations, to restrain and de-board an unruly passenger, take all necessary measures to protect aircraft, terminals, persons and property, maintain order, and deliver such persons to competent authorities.
“AON confirms that members shall cooperate with the relevant aviation agencies and participate in the retraining retreats on how to handle cases of unruly and disruptive passengers as proposed by the Honourable Minister. It reaffirms its zero-tolerance policy towards unruly passenger behaviour and enjoins aggrieved passengers to follow proper channels in expressing their grievances,” AON stated.
