A female passenger, Comfort Emmanson, has been charged to court and remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos after allegedly assaulting Ibom Air crew members and clashing with airport security at the Murtala Muhammed Airport.
The Spokesperson to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, Mr Tunde Moshood, disclosed the development in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“The more reason the flying public should be more careful, the unruly passenger on Uyo-Lagos bound Ibom Air, Miss Comfort Emmanson, has been charged to court and she’s now cooling off in Kirikiri,” Moshood wrote.
According to Vanguard, the incident occurred on Sunday during an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos. Reports indicate that shortly before take-off from Uyo, Emmanson was instructed by crew members to switch off her mobile phone, but she refused.
Ibom Air confirmed that it took repeated instructions — including an announcement by the Pilot-in-Command — before a fellow passenger switched off her phone. This reportedly triggered an aggressive verbal outburst from Emmanson, which initially calmed down, allowing the flight to depart as scheduled.
Violent Confrontation Upon Arrival
Upon landing in Lagos, Emmanson allegedly waited for all passengers to disembark before confronting the purser who had earlier instructed her. In the airline’s official statement, she is accused of stepping on the purser, tearing off her wig, removing her glasses, throwing them to the floor, and hitting her with her footwear. She allegedly slapped the purser multiple times and also attacked another cabin crew member who tried to intervene.
The statement further revealed that she attempted to remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon — an act that could have damaged and grounded the aircraft.
The Pilot-in-Command alerted airport security, but even before they arrived, the purser — as captured in a now-viral video — prevented Emmanson from leaving the aircraft. Upon arrival, Ibom Air and FAAN security personnel were also attacked by Emmanson, who allegedly slapped the ground supervisor.
Arrest and Permanent Ban
Security operatives forcibly removed her from the aircraft and handed her over to the Nigeria Police Force for investigation.
“The passenger was removed from the ramp and taken into custody by FAAN security and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation,” the airline stated.
Ibom Air has submitted a full report of the incident to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and imposed a permanent travel ban on Emmanson, prohibiting her from flying on any of its aircraft.
