Reaction trail air passenger remanded in prison over assault

The world, on Monday woke up to viral video on Nigeria’s Local Airline (Ibom airline) of a female passenger identified as Ms. Comfort Emmanson who went berserk and physically assaulted both the flight crew and the ground staff.

The incident took place on Sunday, August 10, 2025 on Ibom Airline Flight No. Q153 from Uyo, Akwa Ibom to Lagos at about 14:54 hours, according to the statement issued by the airline.

The airline said further that the whole unfortunate incident arose because of the refusal of the passenger to switch off her phone during take off as required by extant International Civil Aviation Regulations.
Report as it that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) imposed a lifetime no-fly ban on Ms. Comfort, a decision followed a review of Ibom Air’s detailed report on the incident.

According to AON’s spokesperson, Professor Obiora Okonkwo who said the passenger’s initial refusal to comply with safety instructions on mobile phone usage escalated into a “brutal physical assault” on crew members.

It was alleged that the said passenger attempted to use a fire extinguisher as a weapon, an act described as one of the most severe cases of unruly passenger behaviour in 2025.
Okonkwo declared, “This was not just disruptive; it was a sustained, violent attack that placed the lives of crew, passengers, and the integrity of the aircraft at risk. This behaviour is unacceptable”.

The Minister of Aviation and Airspace Development, Festus Keyamo revealed that the Police promptly arraigned the passenger on Monday at the Court for criminal offences and remanded her at Kirikiri Prisons as she could not provide adequate sureties in court.

“Apart from the indefinite flight ban imposed on the said unruly passenger (both local and international) by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) the Police has promptly arraigned her this morning”, he said.

Keyamo who noted the scuffle that took place between the unruly passenger and ground personnel before she eventually subdued, said this was because of her uncooperative attitude.

“Whilst we support the filming of her recalcitrant behaviour as evidence to prosecute her, what is DEPLORABLE is to release such evidence containing indecent exposure to public to ridicule her. That is totally unacceptable to us”.

The Minister who vowed not to fold his arms, tolerate debasing of womanhood, directed that whoever released that part of the video that contained the indecent exposure amongst the staff should be singled out and adequately sanctioned.
He also directed that the airlines must continue to train and retrain their staff in public relations and how to deal with the potentially explosive situations in order to diffuse them promptly or nip them in the bud, except when it becomes inevitable.

The Minister also ordered a joint security meeting between relevant agencies next week for better coordination of security measures in situations like this or similar ones witnessed recently.

“For genuinely aggrieved passengers, there are clearly laid-down remedies to address grievances. The Consumer Protection Directorate of the NCAA has consistently advertised these remedies and there is no point trying to take the laws into one’s hands that may lead to dire consequences.

“We will continue to apply equal sanctions available to us in Aviation on any such erring passengers, that is lengthy flight bans and report the matters to other law-enforcement agencies to do their bit within their powers”, the Minister concluded.
The 2023 Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi on X condemned the dehumanising treatment meted out to this young woman, adding that stripping her publicly was not only unnecessary but also represents the height of rascality and abuse by this agencies.

He said, “It is unacceptable that she was hurriedly taken to court and remanded, while someone who visibly held a plane from taking off and put hundreds of lives at risk is still at large, with government agencies and some state officials speaking up for him to be forgiven.

“This case is not just about one young woman, it is about the double standards that poison our justice system. Justice in Nigeria must never be about who is poor or powerless versus who has influence or access to government officials.

“While Ms. Comfort Emmanson is in jail, the other offender who committed a more severe offence has not been held to the same standard. He has neither been arrested nor arraigned in any court.
“We must build a country where justice is fair, equal, and not selective, especially against women who are seen to be weaker.

“This young lady’s offence does not compare to the crimes committed daily by those parading themselves as “excellencies” while looting public funds without consequence, and yet they have not been stripped or dehumanised in the name of justice.

We must end this selective treatment of the poor or less privileged. If justice must be served, it should be served to all, and it must be served fairly.

“The Minister of Aviation and other relevant authorities owe the public an explanation for these double standards in their adjudication. Justice must be just, or it is nothing at all. The rule of law based on justice for all must remain the guidepost of our democracy”, he added.