The Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), a civil society organisation, has called for a comprehensive investigation into Ibom Air and regulatory authorities regarding their handling of passenger Comfort Emmanson.
In a statement released on Monday, August 11, 2025, by NEFGAD’s Head of Office, Omoniyi Akingunola, the organisation condemned Emmanson’s treatment as “unfair, unjust, and unacceptable,” and offered to provide her with free legal assistance.
The controversy arose after videos circulated online showing Emmanson physically confronting flight attendants and airport security on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos. According to Ibom Air, the incident began when Emmanson refused to comply with the mandatory safety directive to switch off her mobile phone prior to takeoff, posing a threat to the crew, passengers, and aircraft. Consequently, the airline imposed a permanent travel ban on her.
However, NEFGAD criticised the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) for imposing a lifetime ban without affording Emmanson a fair hearing or proper investigation. The group also faulted the police for rushing to arraign her without conducting adequate fact-finding.
Akingunola noted that publicly available footage only captures part of the incident and urged Ibom Air to release the in-flight video recordings to shed light on whether Emmanson’s reaction was provoked.
“It is wrong to judge the incident based solely on the clip recorded outside the aircraft. It appears something happened inside the plane, and the lady reacted after she was prevented from disembarking, an apparent orchestrated provocation to ensure she was penalised for whatever had transpired in-flight,” the statement said.
He questioned how a passenger who was forcibly dragged from a plane could be expected to behave calmly, and why she initially appeared ready to disembark but then refused.
Akingunola suggested that the situation may have been escalated deliberately to fit a particular narrative and stressed that cabin crew should not act as law enforcement officers, especially when their actions result in physical assault.
The civil society group’s intervention adds pressure on Ibom Air and regulatory bodies to clarify the full circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure due process is followed.
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