The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly criticised Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) over their handling of an incident involving Ms. Comfort Emmanson on an Ibom Air flight on August 10, 2025.
In a press release signed by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, and general secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the NBA described the airline’s actions—including a lifetime flight ban imposed on Ms. Emmanson—as “reckless,” “unlawful,” and a violation of her right to dignity.
According to the NBA, Ms. Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, publicly stripped of her clothing, and humiliated in an incident that was recorded and widely circulated online. The association labelled the treatment “degrading” and a breach of her privacy, stressing that it fell far below acceptable standards in the aviation industry.
“The Nigerian Bar Association strongly condemns the treatment of Ms. Comfort Emmanson in the incident aboard an Ibom Air flight on 10 August 2025 and the subsequent lifetime flight ban imposed on her by Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria. These actions are heavy-handed, unlawful, and a grave affront to the rule of law and human dignity,” the statement read.
“It is deeply disturbing that Ms. Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped of her clothing in public, and subjected to humiliation that was filmed and circulated online. Such conduct is degrading, violates her right to dignity and privacy, and falls far short of the standards of civility and professionalism expected in the aviation sector. No person, regardless of the circumstances, should be treated in such a dehumanising manner.”
The NBA noted that while Ibom Air had issued its own account of events, other video footage had emerged showing an Ibom Air hostess preventing Ms. Emmanson from leaving the aircraft—an act the association said could amount to false imprisonment and provocation.
“This makes it all the more critical that the matter be subjected to an independent, impartial investigation by the appropriate authorities before any disciplinary action is taken against her,” the statement added.
The association further criticised the lifetime ban as a breach of the principle of fair hearing, arguing that Ms. Emmanson was never given the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
“The decision to impose a lifetime ban without affording Ms. Emmanson a fair opportunity to be heard is equally troubling. Ibom Air has so far only presented its own version of events without giving her the chance to respond. This one-sided process, culminating in a ban supported by AON, breaches the fundamental principle of fair hearing and renders the decision legally and morally indefensible. The power to suspend or restrict a passenger’s right to fly rests with the appropriate statutory regulator, not private associations or airline operators acting unilaterally.
The photographing, dissemination, and online circulation of indecent images of Ms. Emmanson is also an egregious invasion of privacy and a criminal act.”
The NBA stressed that even if the footage was to be shared, it should have been edited to protect Ms. Emmanson’s privacy.
“Those responsible for capturing and distributing the unedited footage must be identified and prosecuted. Such acts erode public trust and undermine the rights of all citizens to be treated with dignity and respect,” the statement said.
The association demanded that Ibom Air withdraw the lifetime ban, issue a public apology, and cooperate with an impartial investigation. It also called on the Minister for Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and relevant security agencies to take appropriate action.
