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By Henry Uche
Following the recent airport controversies involving King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, known as KWAM 1, and Ms Comfort Emmanson, an Ibom Air passenger, the WABMA Media Development Foundation has called on the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, to review and vacate the ambassadorial designation proposed for Ayinde Marshal.
In a statement signed by the Executive Director of the Foundation, Dr Ken Ike Okere, WABMA urged the Minister to create a rapid-response oversight desk (with civil society representation) to review dignity rights complaints within 72 hours, noting that public humiliation, excessive force, and rapid criminalisation of one party, alongside indulgence and soft sanctions for another, erode public trust and normalise impunity.
While demanding equal justice for all Nigerians, the group noted that its position does not presume the innocence or guilt of any party but condemns the disproportionate and gendered weight of state action borne by Ms Comfort Emmanson, compared with the markedly lenient, conciliatory response accorded to a politically connected male offender, KWAM 1, despite both matters arising within the same sector and under the same Constitution.
“In reality, the male offender committed a heavier offence by trying to obstruct a commercial aircraft from flying, effectively an attempted hijack. But he gets to be named an ambassador for the government. We also condemn the undignified handling of the issue on social media and the mass media, revealing deep-rooted norms around gender violence.
“When power and status dictate who is protected and who is punished, the result is not enforcement—it is violence by procedure. Nigeria’s institutions must embody justice, not merely perform it. The Foundation believes that in the handling of these cases, it is apparent that due process, discretion, and enforcement have been applied in ways that humiliate, strip dignity, and inflict psychological harm, especially on a woman, and this constitutes institutional and societal Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The Media Foundation noted that the handling of such matters has been consistent with the observed norms that WABMA’s project ‘Amplifying the Voices of Leaders of Faith and Culture’ has been working to address with support from the Ford Foundation. “While we are seeing significant changes, actions such as the ones surrounding these current cases show that there is still much to be done, especially among policymakers and social influencers.
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“King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal should be engaged in community service as a correctional measure, in contrast to an ambassadorial designation that sounds like a reward for bad behaviour. We call on the Minister to adopt and enforce SGBV-informed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all arrest, restraint, and removal procedures in airports and aircraft. There should be explicit prohibitions on degrading treatment (e.g., stripping, public exposure) except where strictly necessary for safety—and then only under clear, documented protocols.
“We call for equal enforcement and transparent accountability. Government should apply identical standards to all offenders regardless of status. NGOs should conduct an independent review of both cases, publish findings, and outline corrective actions for agencies and personnel involved.
“We commend the Minister of Aviation for insisting on immediate training for aviation security, airline staff, police, and regulatory personnel. We further advise that the mandatory training should include modules on gender, SGBV, and human rights. We also commend the establishment of an incident documentation and body-worn camera policy to protect both citizens and officers.”
While throwing its weight behind responsible and accountable media practices devoid of re-victimisation, the group recommended the standardisation of incident recording, including sex-disaggregated data, use-of-force levels, and outcomes. “The NCAA, as regulator, can handle this and publish quarterly dashboards to demonstrate equal enforcement and continuous improvement.
“Users of social media must make every effort to ensure that they do not hastily victimise people in such instances based on their sex or gender. We stand with all Nigerians who demand equal justice, humane procedures, and institutions worthy of public trust. We urge regulators, airlines, security agencies, and the judiciary to act now to remedy harms already done and to prevent future abuses,” the Media group implored.
