Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised the lifetime flight ban imposed on Comfort Emmanson by Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), calling the decision unjust and lacking due process.
In a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, Obi described the situation as another example of how Nigeria’s justice system disproportionately targets the weak while shielding the powerful.
He referred to the ban as a “tragic irony,” highlighting that more serious offenses by public figures often go unpunished.
Emmanson, reportedly in her twenties, was filmed on August 10 confronting an Ibom Air flight attendant and airport security in a viral incident. Following this, she was placed on a lifetime no-fly list and remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Centre until her court date on October 6.
The AON labeled her behavior among the “most severe cases of unruly conduct” this year.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has acknowledged the airline’s right to pursue legal action, but noted on Monday that both parties could still settle out of court.
Obi questioned whether proper procedures had been followed in such a swift and severe response.
“What due process was followed overnight leading to this sanction? Have we truly exhausted avenues for justice and compassionate resolution?” he asked.
He continued “It is a tragic irony that a young woman is banned for life, while those in authority commit far worse crimes and walk free. The system responded swiftly in this case, but drags its feet when the accused are politically connected.”
Obi emphasized the need for compassion, fairness, and rehabilitation, arguing that punishment in a just society should never be determined by power or status.
“If this young woman, who clearly erred, seeks to apologize, will anyone listen in a country where the pain of the poor is invisible?” he wrote. “Justice must be consistent otherwise, it becomes oppression disguised.”
The incident comes just days after a separate altercation involving Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Ayinde was also placed on a no-fly list pending further investigation.
The NCAA has since referred his case to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Inspector-General of Police.
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