The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has criticised Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) for their handling of the August 10, 2025 incident involving Ms. Comfort Emmanson during a flight.
In a joint statement signed by NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, and General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the association described the airline’s actions — including a lifetime ban on Ms. Emmanson — as “reckless,” “unlawful,” and an affront to her dignity.
According to the NBA, Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped of her clothing in public, and subjected to humiliation, with the incident captured on video and shared online.
The association described the conduct as degrading and a violation of her privacy, adding that it fell short of aviation industry standards.
“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 in part.
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The NBA noted that other footage from the incident appeared to show an Ibom Air hostess preventing Ms. Emmanson from disembarking, an act the association suggested could amount to false imprisonment and provocation.
It stressed that such circumstances warranted an independent and impartial investigation before any sanctions were imposed.
It further criticised the lifetime ban as a breach of fair hearing, pointing out that the passenger had not been given a chance to respond to the allegations.
“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 statement continued.
The NBA also condemned the filming and online circulation of indecent images of Ms. Emmanson, describing it as a criminal act and a gross invasion of privacy.
It emphasised that even if the incident had to be reported, her nudity should have been obscured.
The group called for the prosecution of those responsible for capturing and distributing the unedited footage.
Reiterating that only statutory regulators have the legal authority to restrict a passenger’s right to fly, the NBA demanded that Ibom Air immediately lift the lifetime ban, issue a public apology to Ms. Emmanson, and cooperate with an impartial investigation.
The statement also urged the Minister of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and relevant security agencies to look into the matter thoroughly.
