FG accused of double standards
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has called out the Federal Government for what he sees as blatant double standards after pardoning Fuji legend Wasiu Ayinde Marshal — popularly known as KWAM 1 — over alleged bad behaviour at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
KWAM 1 was accused of splashing the contents of a flask on a pilot, a security officer, and fellow passengers. The police had opened an investigation, but before it could be concluded, the Federal Government accepted the singer’s apology and even announced plans to name him an ambassador for airport security protocol.
‘You’ve lost the moral right’
Falana didn’t hold back. He argued that this move undermines the government’s moral authority to prosecute unruly air passengers in the future.
“By this 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,” he said.
Pattern of selective justice
The lawyer pointed to another recent case — the dropped charges against Comfort Emmanson, accused of unruly behaviour on an Ibom Air flight — as proof of the government’s inconsistent approach.
He warned that such selective treatment creates room for accusations of discrimination, stressing that all citizens should have equal rights and face the same consequences under the law.
Public trust on the line
Falana concluded that letting KWAM 1 off without trial goes against the principle of equal justice and chips away at public confidence in the system.
