The passenger who assaulted airline officials on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos has been charged to court and remanded in the Kirikiri correctional facility.
Miss Comfort Emmanson was arrested after a violent altercation with crew members during the flight and with security officials upon arrival in Lagos.
Tunde Moshood, special adviser on media and communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, confirmed her arraignment in a post on X on Monday. His statement came shortly after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) warned that enforcement against unruly passengers will be stepped up at Nigerian airports.
“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 wrote.
Viral videos on social media show an enraged Emmanson attacking flight attendants and confronting airport security personnel. According to Ibom Air, the incident began before take-off from Uyo when she refused to comply with safety instructions to switch off her mobile phone. A co-passenger seated beside her reportedly switched it off, sparking a verbal outburst.
Upon arrival in Lagos, Emmanson allegedly confronted the purser who had earlier issued the safety instruction and physically assaulted her. Ibom Air described her conduct as a serious threat to the safety of crew, passengers, and the aircraft.
In response, the airline imposed a permanent travel ban on Emmanson, stating she would no longer be allowed to board any of its flights.
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