Disorderly conduct: Falana slams FG for letting Kwam 1, Emmanson off the hook

By Kingston Magare 13.8.2025
The Federal government’s decision to reward Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshall a.k.a Kwam 1 with an aviation ambassadorial role and also drop charges against Comfort Emmanson have been criticised by Femi Falana a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
Kwam 1 and Emmanson were engaged in separate incident of disorderly conducts during flights from Abuja to Lagos and Uyo to Lagos respectively. Kwam 1 attempted to prevent a ValueJet aircraft from taking off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. While Emmanson assaulted Ibom Air stewards after she asked to switch off her phone on board.
Kwam 1 issued an apology, and on Tuesday he was named aviation ambassador, by the Minister of Aviation Mr. Festus Keyamo who explained that his role was to dissuade other would be unruly flyers from disruptive actions. Emmanson was discharged by an Ikeja Magistrate Court Wednesday after police dropped the charges of assault and unruly behavior.
Mr. Falana said in a statement that the FG has lost moral right to prosecute would be offenders by hastily accepting Kwam 1’s apology and granting him pardon without allowing the police to conclude its investigation.
“It is doubtful if the federal government has considered the full implications of the handling of the case of KWAM 1. By this hypothetical action, the federal government has lost its moral right to arrest and prosecute any passenger who commits an offence at any of the nation’s airports.
” For instance, the federal government decided to withdraw the charges filed against Ms. Comfort Emmanson in the Magistrate Court, the passenger accused of unruly behaviour aboard an Ibom Air flight because of the refusal to charge KWAM 1 with appropriate criminal offences.
“Since citizens have equal rights, obligations, and opportunities before the law, the federal government will henceforth be accused of subjecting any unruly passenger to discriminatory treatment on the ground that KWAM 1 was ‘pardoned’ without any criminal trial whatsoever.”