The Ibom Air passenger at the heart of a viral flight controversy, Comfort Emmanson has giving a vivid account of her ordeal and the trauma she says continues to haunt her.
Emmanson, who was forcefully removed from an Ibom Air flight on August 10 during a dispute over switching off her mobile phone, shared an emotional 11-minute video on Instagram (@soft_commy) where she recounted what she described as a humiliating and life-altering experience.
The confrontation began during pre-flight checks in Uyo. Emmanson said one of her phones had a faulty power button, which delayed the process of shutting it down.
“I showed her that one of the phones was bad. The button is bad and she said I can turn it off without the power button. I had two phones and so the man sitting beside me helped me to turn off the other one,” she explained.
Though she eventually complied, she alleged the flight attendant, identified as Julian Edwards, left her with a veiled threat: “Before she left, she said, ‘you will see.’ I didn’t take it to heart since I had already switched my phones off.”
Trouble flared again after landing. Emmanson said she stopped briefly to use the restroom, only to be blocked by the attendant when she tried to disembark.
“That’s when I brought out my phone and did that short video to show how she was blocking my exit. When she noticed I was recording her, she pushed me inside, dragged my frontal out, cut my gold chain, tore my cloth, and made my phones fall to the ground and break.”
She claimed the attack left her in severe pain:
“Anyone who has fixed a frontal knows how painful it is. Imagine someone dragging it out forcefully. It was all these pains she caused me that made me poke her in the face, asking her why she did that to me.”
The situation worsened, she said, when security personnel arrived.
“They were dragging me and some of them wanted to touch me. So, I was trying to cover myself and also defending myself. That was what they recorded and put out there.”
Her half-exposed body was filmed during the scuffle, with clips spreading rapidly online.
Also Read: Human rights body deplores violation of Emmanson’s rights
“The trauma is just too much. I cannot even go out there again. My body is out there. Some people have even used it to make stickers,” she lamented.
Ibom Air swiftly banned Emmanson from its services, describing her conduct as unruly. Days later, she was charged before a Lagos magistrate court. But on August 13, the police withdrew the case, and the court struck it out, clearing her of all charges.
Emmanson expressed gratitude to those who supported her during her brief detention.
“I want to first appreciate God Almighty and everyone that stood by me and fought for me when I was in prison. When I came out, the love and support I saw, I was not expecting it for a commoner like me.”
The incident drew the attention of Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, who urged reconciliation and hinted that airlines were considering naming Emmanson an ambassador for good passenger conduct.
The suggestion had sparked divided opinions across social media, with some sympathising with her and others backing the airline.
Meanwhile, reports of a ₦500 billion lawsuit against the government and aviation regulators circulated online, but Emmanson denied taking legal action.
Beyond the court victory, Emmanson said the humiliation lingers.
“Right now, I don’t know how I will be going for work interview. I am into real estate. Imagine going to sell a property to a client and they will be looking at my breasts. Imagine what my unborn kids or the man that will marry me will say about my reputation.”
She ended her statement with an apology, insisting her reaction was a product of pain rather than defiance.
“God knows I wouldn’t poke an elderly woman, old enough to be my mother, for nothing. I am not a troublesome person; I am not a nuisance. I never refused to switch off my phone.”
Crediblenews.ng
