Terror in the Skies: Two Offenders, Two Fates – Why Aviation Law in Nigeria Is on Trial…..By Samuel Idowu Togun 

Aviation safety is not a luxury. It is the thin line between order and disaster, between a smooth flight and a headline tragedy. Yet two recent incidents—one involving Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde on a ValueJet flight, the other involving Comfort Emmanson on an Akwa Ibom airline—expose a dangerous fracture in Nigeria’s enforcement of those safety rules. The difference in how the law has treated them is as stark as it is scandalous.

The Ayinde Affair
According to multiple accounts, Ayinde attempted to board a ValueJet flight with a flask of alcohol and then tried to force his way into a restricted area. Let’s call it what it is: airside intrusion with hijack potential. Such conduct, under both Nigerian and international aviation law, is a severe offence that can attract heavy fines, indefinite flight bans, and prison time. The pilot’s quick action in ordering him off the plane likely prevented an escalation, and she deserves commendation, not the suspension she reportedly received. Yet, Ayinde walked away free, with only a nominal six-month flight ban—a penalty that in Nigeria’s political climate may quietly evaporate.

The Emmanson Case
Comfort Emmanson’s alleged offences—refusing to switch off her mobile phone during take-off and physically assaulting a cabin crew member—are serious. Mobile phone non-compliance breaches aviation safety protocols, and assaulting airline staff is a criminal offence comparable to striking a police officer on duty. For this, Emmanson sits in custody, facing potential jail time. The legal process is moving against her with the full weight of the law, as it should for any act that endangers an aircraft and its passengers.

Two Weights, Two Measures
Here lies the outrage: Ayinde’s actions arguably posed a greater operational risk—restricted-area intrusion is considered a red-flag security threat globally—yet he went home. Emmanson’s offences, while serious, fall below that threshold, yet she is behind bars.

The only visible difference? Ayinde is a celebrated musician with political connections; Emmanson is an ordinary citizen.

This is not the rule of law; it is the rule of privilege. Perhaps it is a good thing that the second incident has come so quickly after the first. This allows the level of injustice in Nigeria to be seen clearly—not just by citizens, but by the international community that monitors our adherence to global safety and legal standards.

Why It Matters Beyond Nigeria
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other global bodies watch how nations handle breaches of air safety. Selective enforcement undermines Nigeria’s credibility and invites stricter oversight.

If VIPs can flout aviation security with impunity while ordinary citizens are jailed for lesser offences, we send the world a message: safety laws here are not about safety—they are about status. And in aviation, when the rules are optional for some, they are meaningless for all.