By The Editorial Board
The Merit Newspaper (Online)
When Comfort Emmanson, a passenger on an Ibom Air flight, allegedly assaulted a member of the airline’s crew some days ago, the reaction from Nigerian authorities was swift and uncompromising. She was arrested, charged, and remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre. The message seemed clear: unruly behaviour in the air will not be tolerated.
But human rights activist Aisha Yesufu has rightly asked an uncomfortable question — why has this same energy not been applied in similar, high-profile cases? She cites two recent examples: Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole. Both men were involved in separate airline-related incidents that drew public attention, yet neither was arrested or detained.
Authorities have offered procedural explanations. In KWAM 1’s case, the airline did not pursue legal action, and in Oshiomhole’s, the matter was reportedly resolved through statements and administrative measures. But for many Nigerians, these justifications do little to address a deeper suspicion — that the law bites hardest when it targets the powerless, and softens its grip when the powerful are involved.
The issue here is not whether Comfort Emmanson should face consequences for her actions. If she broke the law, she should answer for it. The real question is whether Nigeria’s justice system is capable of applying the same standards to a market trader as to a music icon or a political heavyweight. Without that equality, the system is little more than a performance — justice on paper, theatre in practice.
READ ALSO:Pastor Busted: NDLEA Nabs Lagos Cleric in ₦1.35bn ‘Ghana Loud’ Smuggling Ring
Airlines and regulators must set and enforce clear, consistent procedures for handling unruly passengers, regardless of who they are. Prosecutors must explain their decisions in public, not hide behind “technicalities.” If Nigeria is serious about rule of law, then the rules must apply to all — without fear or favour.
READ ALSO:Nigeria’s Lost Formula for Good Governance Is in This Photo
The country’s justice system is on trial here, as much as any individual. Comfort Emmanson’s case will not just determine her fate; it will test whether Nigeria’s institutions can rise above selective justice and finally earn the public’s trust.
