The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has appealed to passengers who were on board of the Ibom Aircraft to come forward with evidence which would be needed for investigations into the fracas that occurred between Comfort Emannsom and a crew member on Monday.
The appeal was posted on X account (formerly Twitter) of The Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of NCAA, Mike Ashimogu.
He wrote,”Any person who was a passenger on that Ibom Air Uyo-Lagos flight (IAN513) and witnessed the events that led to the fracas should, as a matter of urgency and fairness, reach out to me via DM or michael.achimugu@ncaa.gov.ng.
“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.
“Of course, this does not negate the exhibition of unruly behaviour and its ramifications, but it will ensure that every other person who was culpable down the line is held accountable.
According to him, the NCAA would also send a fact-finding mission to the police and other security personnel who were part of those who witnessed the unfortunate event.
He said, “We will also be sending our officers in Lagos on a fact-finding mission to the police and other security personnel who were part of the entire chain of events. 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. At the end of it all, the message remains the same.”
