308
By Lizzy Chirkpi
The passenger at the centre of a viral inflight altercation aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, Ms Comfort Emmanson, has been charged to court and remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility, according to authorities.
Tunde Moshood, special adviser on media and communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo confirmed the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. His statement followed concerns from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the rising trend of disruptive passenger behavior.
“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 stated.
Viral videos posted on social media captured the visibly enraged Emmanson verbally and physically attacking Ibom Air crew members, as well as confronting airport security personnel.
Ibom Air issued a statement explaining that the disturbance began on the ground in Uyo when Emmanson refused to comply with safety regulations requiring passengers to switch off mobile devices before takeoff. According to the airline, a co-passenger seated beside her eventually turned off the device, triggering an aggressive verbal outburst.
“Upon arrival in Lagos, the situation escalated further when Ms. Emmanson confronted and physically assaulted our crew member, the flight purser who had earlier instructed her to power off her phone,” the airline said.
Ibom Air condemned the behavior, emphasizing that such conduct represents a serious safety risk. The airline has now placed a permanent travel ban on Emmanson.
“In line with our zero-tolerance policy on violence and threats to safety, Ms. Emmanson will no longer be allowed to fly with Ibom Air,” the statement added.
Earlier, the NCAA has reiterated its intention to crack down on unruly passenger behavior across Nigerian airports, signaling a shift toward stricter enforcement.
“The flying public should take note incidents like this will be dealt with swiftly going forward,” said an NCAA spokesperson.