Passenger who assaulted Ibom Air crew remanded in Kirikiri
By Jeffrey Agbo
Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of assaulting airline staff aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, has been arraigned in court and remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos.
Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), confirmed the development in a post on his official X handle on Monday.
“The more reason the flying public should be more careful, the unruly passenger on the Uyo–Lagos bound Ibom Air, Miss Comfort Emmanson, has been charged to court and she’s now cooling off in Kirikiri,” Moshood wrote.
His comment comes as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) warns of tougher enforcement measures against disruptive passenger behaviour, which it says has been on the rise at Nigerian airports.
A viral video from the flight showed Emmanson repeatedly slapping a Purser after she was allegedly instructed to switch off her phone before take-off.
In a statement issued on Monday, Ibom Air announced it had banned Emmanson from flying with the carrier following the assault on one of its crew members.
The airline explained that the incident began before take-off in Uyo when Emmanson refused to comply with safety regulations requiring passengers to switch off mobile devices. A fellow passenger seated beside her switched off the phone, which reportedly triggered a verbal outburst.
According to Ibom Air, upon arrival in Lagos, Emmanson confronted the purser who had earlier issued the instruction and physically attacked her. The airline further alleged that she attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon — an act they described as “an intention to damage and ground the aircraft”.
Ibom Air said her actions posed a serious threat to the safety of its crew, passengers, and the aircraft.
The case follows a separate recent incident involving Fuji musician King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (popularly known as KWAM 1 or K1), who attempted to stop a ValueJet aircraft from taking off after being deboarded.
