The WABMA Media Development Foundation has accused Nigeria’s aviation authorities, law enforcement agencies, and the judiciary of applying “disproportionate and gendered” standards in handling two recent high-profile aviation incidents — the Ibom Air case involving Ms. Comfort Emmanson and the ValuJet case involving Fuji music veteran King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM1).
“Our position does not presume the innocence or guilt of any party,” WABMA said in a statement. “Rather, we condemn the disproportionate and gendered weight of state action borne by the woman involved… compared with the markedly lenient, conciliatory response accorded to a politically connected male offender.”
Executive Director Ken Ike Okere was more direct: “When power and status dictate who is protected and who is punished, the result is not enforcement, it is violence by procedure. Nigeria’s institutions must embody justice, not merely perform it.”
The foundation contrasted the swift and forceful action against Emmanson — including arrest, prosecution, and a lifetime flight ban — with what it described as the “lenient” treatment of KWAM1, who allegedly obstructed a ValuJet flight in Lagos after insisting a late aide be allowed to board.
The Ibom Air incident, which went viral online last week, began when crew members reportedly instructed Emmanson to switch off her phone before take-off from Uyo to Lagos. The disagreement escalated into a physical confrontation, ending in her removal by security personnel. Viral clips showed her clothes torn, her wig removed, and her upper body exposed.
Ibom Air accused her of assaulting the purser and airport officials and imposed a lifetime ban. Supporters claim her phone was already in flight mode and accuse the airline of heavy-handedness.
In contrast, KWAM1 allegedly attempted to prevent a ValuJet aircraft from departing — an act aviation experts say could amount to attempted hijacking — yet he faced no arrest or prosecution. Instead, the Ministry of Aviation appointed him as an ambassador, a move WABMA said “sends the wrong message.”
