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Ibom Air, a Nigerian airline service, recently made the news when a series of videos showed an altercation between a flight attendant and a passenger on Aug. 10, 2025. The videos showed that the passenger, Comfort Emmanson, engaged in disruptive behaviour over refusal to comply with safety instructions while flying en route from Uyo to Lagos. Viral videos revealed that she physically assaulted the airline staff while attempting to alight from the aircraft.
The incident happened at Murtala Muhammad Airport, Lagos, days after Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM 1), a popular Fuji musician, had an airport altercation with ValueJet staff on Aug. 5, 2025. Reports claimed that Wasiu refused to surrender a flask suspected to contain alcohol despite repeated warnings from aviation security at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. A video also surfaced showing him attempting to block the plane from flying.
Comfort’s actions resulted in the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) announcing on Aug. 11, 2025, that she would be placed on a “No-Fly” list. The announcement means she is indefinitely barred from boarding flights operated by member airlines.
The move triggered a storm of debate. Some users, like Emmanuel Ugwu, applauded the decision as a deterrent against unruly behaviour, describing it as “rightly deserved.”
Others, such as Nnamdi Kenneth, accused the airlines of acting outside the law, arguing that “AON doesn’t have the right under Nigerian law to ban any citizen of Naija from flying; only Nigerian aviation can do that, that one na backyard judgement.”
Given the rising debate about the power of the Airline Operators of Nigeria to ban passengers, DUBAWA decided to examine what the law says.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON)
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) is a non-profit, non-political trade association serving as the principal representative body for Nigeria’s aviation industry.
It was established to unite and advance the interests of its member airlines. The AON facilitates cooperation, promotes fair competition, and provides a forum for addressing internal industry grievances and disputes.
The AON is not a regulatory body or government authority. It functions through voluntary cooperation among its member airlines.
While it can make recommendations and issue public statements, it has no legal power to control airline operations or impose sanctions like travel bans.
For instance, the AON frequently acts as a collective voice in Nigeria’s aviation sector, issuing statements on challenges such as the soaring costs of foreign exchange and aviation fuel, and sounding alarms over existential threats to the industry unless government intervention is forthcoming.
Who can ban air passengers in Nigeria?
The principal regulator in Nigeria’s aviation sector is the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), empowered by the Civil Aviation Act of 2022.
Under Section 8 of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022, it is mandated to register aircraft, issue airworthiness certificates, regulate aerodromes, enforce safety standards, and ensure environmental compliance in aviation operations.
Section 31 further grants it broad rulemaking powers, allowing it to issue and amend regulations, impose penalties, and enact emergency directives when safety or security is at risk.
Additionally, Section 33 authorises the NCAA to conduct investigations, issue subpoenas, and enforce compliance through fines or license revocation.
In short, only the NCAA has the lawful authority to impose industry-wide sanctions such as suspensions or no-fly bans after following due legal process.
This position is further supported by Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the fundamental right to personal liberty.
This right means no individual can be deprived of their freedom except under clearly defined circumstances provided by law. In practice, such a restriction can only be imposed following due legal procedure, and only a court of law has the authority to limit this right lawfully.
On X, Pelumi Olajengbesi, a lawyer and legal practitioner, explained that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has no legal authority under the Civil Aviation Act 2022 or any Nigerian law to ban anyone from flying.
He stressed that only the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) can impose such restrictions. He noted that the AON’s action violates constitutional rights to freedom of movement and a fair hearing. He warned that such conduct undermines the rule of law and promotes impunity.
DUBAWA spoke with Francis Ochie, a legal officer at Veritas University, about the circumstances under which someone can legally be placed on a “No Fly” list in Nigeria and which authority has the power to do so. Francis explained that only the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have that power.
He noted that if the government places a travel ban or includes a citizen on a “No Fly” list, no airline in the country can accept that passenger. For instance, in July 2018, the federal government imposed a travel ban on 50 Nigerians, mostly public officials and ex-governors, who were implicated in corruption investigations.
Similarly, in January 2021, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 enacted a six-month travel ban on 100 passengers who failed to take the mandatory Day-7 post-arrival PCR test, suspending their passports for the duration.
“The AON does not have the authority to stop a person from travelling. An airline can only prevent a passenger from flying with their own company, but they cannot ban that person from boarding all airlines,” he said.
Conclusion
Only the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities (NCAA) can place a “no-lift” order on any prospective flight passenger in Nigeria. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) order lacks legal backing to guarantee enforcement.
