Ibom Air: NCAA Seeks Eyewitness Account, Releases Contact As Airline Reacts to Viral Video
- The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has launched a search for eyewitness accounts in the Ibom Air fracas
- This is part of its investigation to fully determine what happened and identify those guilty in the case
- Peter Obi and several persons have raised concerns about the carriage of justice as the passenger is taken to Kirikiri Correctional Centre
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The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called on passengers aboard the Ibom Air Uyo–Lagos flight (IAN513) with Comfort Emmanson to come forward for an eye-witness account.
Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s director of consumer affairs, in a statement on Tuesday, August 12 said those who witnessed the incident to contact him directly via email or direct message for verification and further discussion.
Source: UGC
He also revealed that the NCAA has sent officers to Lagos on a fact-finding mission to engage with police and security personnel involved in handling the case.
The message reads:
"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."
He, however, clarified that the witness account 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.
He added:
"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."
He stressed that safety remains the overriding priority in aviation, saying:
"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; in aviation, it is safety first, safety second, and safety third."
Ibom Air denies viral video
Meanwhile, Ibom Air has denied releasing the viral video of the female passenger which showed her private part while being dragged off one of its planes at Lagos Airport, Leadership reports.
Speaking in an interview with TVC News on Monday, the Ibom Air Group Manager, Marketing and Communications, Aniekan Essienette, distanced the airline from the footage that has stirred outrage across social media.
Ms Essienette said:
“The video was recorded on the plane, but there were several people on board who were not Ibom Air employees. Anyone could have taken it."
“I can tell you categorically that Ibom Air did not release the video. We do not condone such indecent exposure, and it is unfortunate that the video has gone viral.”
FAAN warns passengers against unruly behaviour
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has issued a warning to passengers at Nigerian airports amid rising incidents of unruly behaviour
The government agency has urged travellers to be careful, as any wrong behaviour will be met with legal implications.
FAAN added that it is reviewing its protocols for restraining and prosecuting passengers in line with the Airport Approved Security Programme and other relevant laws.
Source: Legit.ng
