Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of assaulting officials of Ibom Air flight at Lagos Airport has been charged to court and remanded at the Kirikiri correctional facility.
Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, confirmed the development via X on Monday. His announcement came shortly after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) warned that stricter enforcement actions will soon be more common as incidents of unruly passenger behaviour increase in 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 said.
Viral videos on social media show an angry Emmanson confronting flight attendants and airport security officials. According to Ibom Air, the disturbance began before take-off in Uyo when she allegedly refused to turn off her mobile phone in line with standard aviation safety rules. A fellow passenger reportedly switched off the phone on her behalf, triggering a heated verbal exchange.
The airline said that upon landing in Lagos, Emmanson confronted the flight purser who had earlier instructed her to switch off her phone and physically assaulted her. Ibom Air described her actions as a serious safety risk to crew, passengers, and the aircraft.
In response, the airline has imposed a permanent travel ban on Emmanson, barring her from flying on any of its aircraft in the future.
