Comfort Emmanson, a female passenger on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos has been remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre after violently assaulting cabin crew members and airport security officials in an incident that has drawn widespread attention. The airline has permanently banned her from flying on any of its aircraft.
The incident began shortly before take-off when Emmanson refused to switch off her mobile phone as required by aviation safety regulations. Despite instructions from the crew and a public announcement by the pilot, she only complied after a fellow passenger intervened by switching off the phone. This refusal led to a verbal confrontation, but the flight still departed as scheduled.
Upon arrival in Lagos, after all other passengers had disembarked, Emmanson confronted the purser (head of the cabin crew) who had earlier instructed her to switch off the phone. The confrontation quickly escalated into a physical assault: she stepped on the purser, forcibly tore off her wig, removed and threw her glasses to the floor, and struck her several times with her hands and footwear. When another crew member tried to intervene, Emmanson assaulted her as well. She also attempted to remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon, posing a serious risk of damage and grounding the aircraft.
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The pilot had already alerted airport security before the altercation worsened. Although the purser managed to prevent Emmanson from leaving the plane until security arrived, the passenger attacked Ibom Air and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, security personnel violently. She was eventually restrained and forcibly removed from the aircraft. Even after disembarking, she continued assaulting security staff and slapped the ground supervisor.
Following the incident, Ibom Air handed Emmanson over to the Nigeria Police Force and placed a travel ban on her, effective indefinitely. The airline reported the case to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, emphasizing its zero-tolerance stance on unruly and violent behaviour that endangers crew, passengers, and equipment. The airline also commended its crew and security personnel for their calm and professional handling of the situation.
Tunde Moshood, special adviser on media and communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, confirmed that Emmanson has been charged to court and remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Centre as part of the ongoing legal process.
The incident has sparked calls for stricter deterrent measures against unruly passengers in Nigerian airspace to enhance flight safety and compliance with aviation regulations.
THE EAGLE NEWS
