The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that passengers must switch off all mobile phones during aircraft take-off and landing.
Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, made the announcement in a post on X on Tuesday.
“Henceforth, the regulation per phones and other electronic devices in Nigeria has been unified: ALL PHONES MUST BE SWITCHED OFF DURING THE CRITICAL ASPECTS OF TAKE OFF AND LANDING,” he said.
“All airlines must amend their security programmes to reflect this if different in their current programmes.”
“No more airplane mode until regulations are reviewed to reflect evolving technological situations,” he added.
This development comes after the controversy surrounding Comfort Emmanson and Ibom Air. The controversy emanated from the reported refusal of Emmanson to switch off her phone, which was said to have been on flight mode.
Emmanson was arrested on Sunday, August 10, 2025, following a reported altercation during the flight in which she allegedly refused to switch off her mobile phone before take-off and later assaulted the purser.
She was arraigned the next day and remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility.
The case attracted widespread attention after videos circulated online showing her being blocked from leaving the aircraft and, in another clip, partially exposed while being dragged out by airport security.
