The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has issued a clarification regarding its role in the recent incident involving Comfort Emmanson and Ibom Air staff at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MM2) in Lagos.
The confrontation, which took place last Sunday at the foot of an aircraft, drew public attention after videos of the altercation surfaced online.
In a statement released on Friday, FAAN stressed that its officials were not involved in the initial stages of the altercation. The agency explained that the matter occurred within MM2, a privately managed facility operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited.
According to FAAN, security operations within the terminal fall under the jurisdiction of Ibom Air’s internal security and Bi-Courtney’s Aviation Security Unit. FAAN noted that its Aviation Security (AVSEC) officers have clearly defined responsibilities limited to passenger and baggage screening at designated checkpoints, while general terminal security is overseen by Bi-Courtney.
The agency stated, “The MM2 Terminal is classified as a Private Tenant Restricted Area. FAAN AVSEC officers are responsible solely for passenger and baggage screening at designated checkpoints, while general terminal security operations are handled by Bi-Courtney’s security team.”
FAAN added that its personnel only became involved after Emmanson was transferred to the Crime Investigation and Intelligence Unit, popularly known as “Tango City,” for proper documentation before being handed over to the Nigeria Police for prosecution.
Reaffirming its commitment to professionalism, the authority highlighted that it continues to prioritise the training and retraining of its AVSEC officers in compliance with Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) guidelines. The statement further read, “FAAN remains committed to the ongoing training and retraining of our AVSEC officers. Only institutions certified by the NCAA are authorised to conduct certification-related training for aviation personnel.”
FAAN assured the public that it remains dedicated to upholding the highest standards of safety, security, and professionalism across all airports in the country.
What you should know
The incident between Comfort Emmanson and Ibom Air staff at MM2 was initially handled by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services and Ibom Air’s internal security, not FAAN.
The authority only became involved after the matter was escalated to security documentation and later handed over to the police.
FAAN has reiterated its limited role in terminal security and reaffirmed its dedication to safety and compliance with NCAA standards.
