The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has strongly criticised the public release of an indecent video showing Ibom Air passenger, Comfort Emmanson, who was accused of assaulting a crew member on Sunday.
Keyamo stated that while recording Emmanson’s unruly behaviour for the purpose of evidence in her prosecution was appropriate, releasing the portion of the footage containing indecent exposure to the public was “deplorable and unacceptable.”
He revealed that he had directed that the staff member responsible for releasing that part of the video be identified and sanctioned.
“Whilst we support the filming of her recalcitrant behaviour as evidence to prosecute her, what is deplorable is to release such evidence containing indecent exposure to the public to ridicule her. That is totally unacceptable to us. We will not fold our arms and tolerate the debasing of womanhood,” Keyamo stated on X.
The minister also directed airlines to continuously train and retrain their staff in public relations and conflict management, with an emphasis on defusing potentially explosive situations before they escalate. Additionally, he ordered a joint security meeting between relevant agencies next week to improve coordination in handling incidents of this nature.
Keyamo urged passengers with genuine grievances to use the official complaint channels provided by the Consumer Protection Directorate of the NCAA, stressing that taking the law into one’s hands could lead to serious consequences. He reiterated that erring passengers would face sanctions, including lengthy flight bans and possible law enforcement action.
Meanwhile, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has imposed a lifetime ban on Emmanson, preventing her from flying with any member airline, both domestically and internationally. This decision, announced by AON spokesperson Obiora Okonkwo, follows an earlier travel restriction placed on her by Ibom Air.
According to the airline, the incident began before take-off from Uyo, when Emmanson refused to switch off her mobile phone despite repeated instructions. It took an intervention by a fellow passenger to turn it off, which reportedly triggered a verbal outburst from her. Although the flight proceeded without further disturbance, the situation escalated upon arrival in Lagos.
Ibom Air said Emmanson waited until other passengers had disembarked before confronting the Purser who had asked her to turn off the phone. She allegedly stepped on the Purser, tore off her wig, removed her glasses, threw them to the floor, and assaulted her with her footwear. Viral videos later showed her lashing out at the flight attendant as security officers tried to restrain her.
The airline described the behaviour as “unacceptable” and said the lifetime travel restriction would remain in effect.
