Prisoner held over assault against Ibom Air flight staff in Kirikiri remains detained until October 6, as per court ruling.
In a bizarre turn of events, Comfort Emmanson, a passenger on an Ibom Air flight, has found herself embroiled in a court case following an altercation with flight crew members and willful property damage during the incident.
The incident occurred shortly before takeoff from Uyo, when Emmanson refused to comply with standard aviation safety procedures, leading to a heated confrontation. The altercation, which was captured on video, showed Emmanson attacking flight attendants, abusing, and assaulting crew members. The footage also revealed her confronting airport security officials [1].
The controversy deepened when Emmanson was accused of assaulting fellow passenger Jokpame Sagun, hitting her in the face with her slippers, and damaging an aircraft divider curtain valued at $2,500. She is also alleged to have torn a braided wig valued at ₦110,000 belonging to Juliana Edward, a flight attendant. Emmanson is further accused of slapping Edward and hitting her cheeks with her right hand [2].
Following the incident, Emmanson was detained in Kirikiri prison, but details about a formal judge's hearing or trial were unclear from initial reports. However, the Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, later ordered Ibom Air to withdraw the case against Emmanson and instructed the police to release her from custody [3].
In a statement after her release, Emmanson denied refusing to power off her phone as alleged, explaining the difficulty was due to a faulty power button. She also highlighted the harsh treatment she endured during the removal from the aircraft, describing being physically dragged out [3].
The offences allegedly contravene sections 170, 172, and 350 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, as well as section 4(1)(a) and punishable under section 4(2) of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Byelaw, 2005 [2].
As a result of her actions, Emmanson now faces a five-count charge bordering on assault and wilful property damage. In addition, Ibom Air has placed a travel restriction on Emmanson, barring her from flying on any of its aircraft due to her behaviour, which posed a serious threat to the safety of the crew, passengers, and aircraft [4].
Despite the charges and travel restriction, the exact legal proceedings or court case outcomes were not clearly detailed in the available information. The situation involved multiple actors—the flight crew, ground personnel, security agencies—and raised questions about conflict management protocols in airline operations [1][2][3].
References:
[1] The Cable
[2] The Guardian Nigeria
[3] Premium Times
[4] Daily Trust
Read also:
- Court petitions to reverse established decision on same-sex marriage legalization
- Commemoration of 200 Days of American Resurgence Unveiled
- Minister Bärbel Bas expresses doubts about her tenure as a minister following a recent interview during the summer.
- Politicians from both Republican and Democratic parties are urging President Trump to maintain the security agreement with Australia and the United Kingdom.
