Enugu Air Drama: Impunity Is Becoming Our Default Setting
An Enugu Air flight from Abuja to Lagos was disrupted when a passenger refused to switch off his phone, echoing the Ibom Air incident. The episode highlights Nigeria’s growing culture of impunity and the urgent need for stronger aviation enforcement.
On the morning of August 16, an Enugu Air flight from Abuja to Lagos almost descended into chaos before takeoff.
As the aircraft taxied, the captain stopped on the runway. Her reason? A passenger defiantly refused to switch off his phone. When the cabin crew appealed to him, his response was shocking:
“Wetin happen for Ibom Air go happen for here now now.”
That single line exposes a dangerous truth—Nigeria’s culture of impunity is contagious. Passengers eventually pressured him to comply, but the incident should never have reached that point.
When the Ibom Air breach was handled with leniency, it sent a clear message: rules can be bent, and aviation safety can be toyed with. Today, that message echoed in Enugu. Tomorrow, it could end in tragedy.
The bigger shame is not only on leadership but on society. Fans of a Fuji star involved in one controversy flaunt gold flasks in his honor. Politicians and hangers-on rush to console offenders. Yet, we rarely celebrate students who break records, innovators who solve problems, or citizens who uphold integrity.
We have chosen to glamorize recklessness while neglecting excellence. That choice weakens our institutions, endangers lives, and normalizes misconduct.
No serious country builds its future this way. Until consequences become swift and certain, incidents like today’s will continue—perhaps next time with irreversible results.
