Our reporter/ The Bola Tinubu’s administration has lost its moral right to prosecute unruly air passengers after giving Fuji musician KWAM 1 a slap on the wrist, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has said.
KWAM 1, an ally of the president, had breached airport security and held a passenger aircraft hostage last Tuesday.
In a statement on Wednesday, the senior lawyer condemned the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s move to engage KWAM 1 as its ambassador.
“Without allowing the police to conclude the investigation and possibly file charges against the suspect, the federal government has hastily accepted his apology and granted him a pardon,” Falana said.
“As if that is not enough, the federal government has announced plans to engage the suspect as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol after the recent controversy,” he added.
Falana argued that letting KWAM1 off the hook and crowning him a FAAN ambassador erodes the Nigerian government’s moral right to prosecute other passengers who subsequently hold aircraft hostage like the Fuji musician.
“It is doubtful if the federal government has considered the full implications of the handling of the case of KWAM 1. By this hypothetical action, the federal government has lost its moral right to arrest and prosecute any passenger who commits an offence at any of the nation’s airports.
“For instance, the federal government decided to withdraw the charges filed against Ms Comfort Emmanson in the Magistrate Court, the passenger accused of unruly behaviour aboard an Ibom Air flight because of the refusal to charge KWAM 1 with appropriate criminal offences,” the lawyer explained.
“Since citizens have equal rights, obligations, and opportunities before the law, the federal government will henceforth be accused of subjecting any unruly passenger to discriminatory treatment on the ground that KWAM 1 was ‘pardoned’ without any criminal trial whatsoever.”
However, Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation, on Wednesday justified the pardon and FAAN ambassadorship granted to ‘KWAM1’.
“It is common practice all over the world that a repentant offender is made to preach publicly against the exact conduct from which he has repented. It is akin to community service. It is not paid for and it is voluntary service,” Keyamo said.
“Unfortunately, in Nigeria, some would assume that once you hear the word ‘Ambassador’ it is a big position that comes with the perquisites of office. No, it is not. It is for free.
“It is not the first time it is happening in Nigeria, and it will not be the last. Examples abound of such roles given to repentant persons by previous governments in Nigeria.”
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