NBA condemns Ibom Air’s treatment of comfort Emmanson
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly criticised Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) over their handling of passenger Comfort Emmanson, describing it as “reckless, unlawful, and a grave affront to human dignity.”
NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), in a statement on Tuesday, said Emmanson was forcibly removed from an aircraft, stripped in public, and humiliated — acts he described as degrading and a violation of her rights to dignity and privacy. Video footage of the incident was circulated online, which the NBA said also breaches privacy laws.
According to Osigwe, footage has surfaced showing an Ibom Air hostess preventing Emmanson from leaving the aircraft, an action that could amount to false imprisonment and provocation.
He stressed that the lifetime ban imposed without giving Emmanson a chance to be heard violated her right to fair hearing and was legally and morally indefensible.
The NBA maintained that only statutory regulators — not private operators — have the authority to suspend a passenger’s flying rights. It also called for the prosecution of those responsible for filming and sharing unedited images of Emmanson.
The association demanded Ibom Air withdraw the ban, apologise publicly, and cooperate with an independent investigation.
It also urged the Minister of Aviation, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and security agencies to probe the matter, sanction offenders, and enforce humane passenger treatment standards.
Osigwe said the NBA is ready to offer Emmanson pro bono legal support, adding: “We will not remain silent while the fundamental rights of any Nigerian are trampled upon. Justice must prevail.”
