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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has appealed to passengers who were on board the Ibom Air flight involved in a midair altercation on August 10, 2025, to come forward with their accounts of the incident.
In a post via his official X handle on Tuesday, Mike Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA urged any passenger who witnessed the events on Flight Q153 from Uyo to Lagos to contact him directly via DM or email at michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng.
Achimugu clarified that the NCAA has not prosecuted or banned any of the passengers involved in the incident, stressing that the Authority does not have the legal powers to do so. Instead, he said the agency is prioritising a fact-finding mission to ensure fairness and accountability for all parties involved.
“Once verified that you were actually a passenger on that flight, we can discuss and try to understand other perspectives to this issue. In the interest of justice and fairness, it is necessary to hear both sides of the story,” he stated
The altercation began when passenger Comfort Emmanson allegedly refused to switch off her mobile phone during take-off in violation of international aviation safety regulations. The situation escalated into physical assaults on both flight crew and ground staff upon landing.
Achimugu added that NCAA officers in Lagos will liaise with police and other security agencies who handled the matter to identify any other culpable parties.
“Finally, one hopes that lessons are learned from all of these events and that the necessary adjustments and improvements are implemented by all stakeholders: passengers, airline staff, aviation security, etc.
“It is a test for the system. No matter how fine regulations are, human behaviour will always be unpredictable. When these events occur, we are able to see the gaps and pluck loopholes,” he added
The NCAA spokesperson also revealed that he had taken down an explanatory video he had earlier posted on the matter, saying this was out of respect for public sensitivities, but reiterated the need for open discussions about industry challenges.
The Authority hopes that lessons learned from the incident will lead to better cooperation between passengers, airline staff, and aviation security in upholding safety protocols.
