JUST IN: Passenger who assaulted Ibom Air crew remanded in prison
Comfort Emmanson has been charged and remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Facility following an assault on crew members aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos.
The Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Tunde Moshood, confirmed the development on Monday via X (formerly Twitter).
This follows a recent directive from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to step up enforcement against unruly passengers at Nigerian airports.
Emmanson’s case comes less than a week after Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, reportedly obstructed a ValueJet flight in Abuja.
According to Ibom Air, Emmanson’s actions posed a serious safety risk to passengers, crew, and the aircraft. The airline has consequently banned her for life.
The incident began before takeoff when Emmanson refused to switch off her mobile phone despite multiple instructions. After a fellow passenger turned off the phone following the pilot’s announcement, Emmanson became aggressive.
Upon landing in Lagos, she confronted and assaulted the Purser by tearing off her wig, removing her glasses, and hitting her with her footwear. She also slapped another crew member and tried to remove a fire extinguisher, potentially endangering the flight.
Ibom Air reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on such behavior and vowed to pursue legal action and permanent bans against offenders.
