• Obi, others demand same treatment for KWAM 1
• FAAN decries growing passenger misconduct, vows sanctions

Ibom Air passenger, Comfort Emmanson, banned by the airline from flying with its aircraft as well as other operators over “unruly” conduct, has been remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre.

Emmanson was banned by the airline after she was found allegedly assaulting one of the crew members of their aircraft.

Similarly, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the association of Nigeria’s domestic airlines, imposed a lifetime flight ban on the female passenger accused of violently assaulting crew members on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos on 10 August.

The passenger had, in a viral video, repeatedly slapped a purser with Ibom Air after she was allegedly told to switch off her phone before take-off.

Confirming the incident in a statement yesterday, Ibom Air said the incident happened on Sunday while Emmanson was on board their Uyo to Lagos flight.

The statement read: “Shortly before take-off from Uyo, Emmanson was instructed in line with standard aviation safety procedures to switch off her mobile phone. She refused to comply until the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement, after which a fellow passenger seated beside her took the phone and switched it off.

“This action prompted a verbal tirade from Emmanson. The situation was eventually calmed, and the flight departed as scheduled.

“Upon arrival in Lagos, Emmanson waited for all other passengers to disembark and then proceeded to confront the purser, who had earlier instructed her. She walked up to the unsuspecting purser, stepped on her, forcibly tore off her wig, removed her glasses, threw them to the floor, and used her footwear to assault her. She slapped her several times, and when the other cabin crew member tried to intervene, she slapped her too.”

“By this time, the Pilot-in-Command had alerted airport security. Before security could arrive, the purser, as seen in the viral video on the internet, prevented the passenger from leaving the aircraft until security arrived.

“The arrival of Ibom Air security personnel did not deter the passenger, as she attacked them as well, lashing out violently at the security personnel. She was then restrained and removed from the aircraft by force. Even after disembarking, she continued to assault Ibom Air security personnel and even slapped the ground supervisor.

“The passenger was removed from the ramp and taken into custody by FAAN security and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation,” Ibom Air stressed.

FOLLOWING the development, Emmanson has been charged in court and remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos.

Mr Tunde Moshood, spokesperson for the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, disclosed this on X.

Moshood also said she has been remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison in Lagos.

Keyamo, in a statement on X, also condemned the release of indecent footage of the passenger by the airline and directed that whoever released that part of the video among the staff be singled out and sanctioned, saying it was unacceptable.

The minister also directed a joint security meeting between relevant agencies next week for better coordination of security measures in such situations.

REACTING to the development, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 General Elections, Mr Peter Obi, described it as unfortunate and dishonourable drama, lamenting the “double standards in our lives and the inadequacies of our various security operatives in acting decently and in a civilised manner”.

“I want to start by sincerely apologising to the Ibom Air crew who were assaulted by Miss Comfort Emmanson. We must, as a society, learn and uphold good conduct, as it is a true measure of success and decent living.

“However, I must equally strongly condemn the dehumanising treatment meted out to this young woman. Stripping her publicly was not only unnecessary but also represents the height of rascality and abuse by our agencies.

It is unacceptable that she was hurriedly taken to court and remanded, while someone who visibly held a plane from taking off and put hundreds of lives at risk is still at large, with government agencies and some state officials speaking up for him to be forgiven.

“This case is not just about one young woman; it is about the double standards that poison our justice system. Justice in Nigeria must never be about who is poor or powerless versus who has influence or access to government officials.”

He lamented that while Emmanson is in jail, another offender who committed a more severe offence had not been held to the same standard, as he had neither been arrested nor arraigned in any court.

He added: “We must build a country where justice is fair, equal, and not selective, especially against women who are seen to be weaker. This young lady’s offence does not compare to the crimes committed daily by those parading themselves as excellencies while looting public funds without consequence, and yet they have not been stripped or dehumanised in the name of justice.”

ON a similar incident that involved Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM 1) last week in Abuja, a legal icon and a professor of Aviation Law, Ismail Adua Mustapha, has warned of dire consequences that will follow the failure to prosecute and serve due punishments on the popular musician for obstructing a ValueJet aircraft at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.

He expressed fears that the “Grade A” status of Nigerian airspace might be withdrawn.

The first professor of aviation law said if necessary and convincing sanctions were not meted out on KWAM 1, “some international flights may desert Nigerian airspace for lack of civil aviation security.”

According to him, Nigeria, as a party to the international civil aviation laws, including Annexe 17 to the Chicago Convention of 1944, has an obligation to prosecute and punish severely any suspect found guilty of the offences.

MEANWILE, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has expressed concern over the growing frequency of unruly conduct by passengers across the nation’s airports, warning that such actions will attract stiff penalties.

In a statement yesterday, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah, described the behaviour as “entirely unacceptable” and contrary to civil aviation standards.

She urged travellers to familiarise themselves with the Passengers’ Rights and Responsibilities as well as the Airlines’ Obligations published by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and FAAN Bye Laws, noting that violations would be sanctioned in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 17, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Part 17), and FAAN Bye Laws.