Ibom Air has permanently banned a passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, following a violent incident on board its Uyo–Lagos flight on Sunday, August 10, 2025.
The airline confirmed that trouble began shortly before take-off from Uyo when Ms. Emmanson refused repeated instructions to switch off her mobile phone in line with aviation safety procedures.
She only complied after the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement and a fellow passenger seated beside her switched it off, prompting a verbal outburst from her.
According to Ibom Air, the situation escalated upon arrival in Lagos when Ms. Emmanson waited for all other passengers to disembark before confronting 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 and threw it to the floor, and used her footwear to assault her,” the airline said in a statement.
She reportedly slapped the Purser multiple times, attacked another crew member who intervened, and attempted to remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon.
The Pilot-in-Command had already alerted airport security, but before their arrival, the Purser restrained the passenger from leaving, as seen in a viral video. Even after Ibom Air and FAAN security arrived, the airline said Ms. Emmanson “attacked them as well… and even slapped the ground supervisor.”
She was eventually restrained, removed from the aircraft, and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for investigation. Ibom Air has filed a report with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and imposed a lifetime travel restriction on her.
The airline stressed its “zero-tolerance policy towards any form of unruly or violent conduct” and praised the professionalism of its crew in managing the “extremely challenging” situation.
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