Comfort Emmanson, a passenger aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, has been remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Facility following her arraignment in court for allegedly assaulting a member of the airline’s crew.
The incident, which took place on board the flight prior to take-off in Uyo, began when Emmanson refused to switch off her mobile phone, defying standard aviation safety protocols. A fellow passenger reportedly turned off the device, triggering a heated altercation.
Upon landing in Lagos, Emmanson is alleged to have physically attacked the flight’s purser, the crew member involved in the earlier exchange. Ibom Air has described her behavior as a severe breach of safety and has permanently banned her from flying with the airline.
Tunde Moshood, media adviser to the Minister of Aviation, confirmed the development on Monday via X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing that Nigeria’s aviation authorities will now enforce stricter and faster consequences for unruly behavior at airports and aboard flights.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) echoed this stance, stating that increased enforcement is part of broader efforts to curb the growing number of disruptive incidents involving passengers across the country’s aviation sector.
