The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has vowed to provide pro bono legal support to the passenger of Ibom Air, Comfort Emmanson, who was remanded for alleged assault on the airline’s crew members.
In a statement signed by the NBA President Afam Osigwe and the General Secretary, Mobolaji Ojibara today, the association said it would ensure her rights are protected and that she obtains redress for the violations suffered.
Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft following allegations she physically assaulted crew members on the Uyo to Lagos flight, and then remanded in the correctional service in Kirikiri by a magistrates’ court.
NBA called for an independent, impartial investigation by the appropriate authorities before any disciplinary action is taken against her, including the life ban by the Airline Operators of Nigeria.
The NBA noted that photographing, dissemination, and online circulation of indecent images of Ms. Emmanson is also an egregious invasion of privacy and a criminal act
The association stated: “The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 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 (AON). These actions are heavy-handed, unlawful, and a grave affront to the rule of law and human dignity.
“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.
“While Ibom Air has issued its own account of events, other video footage has emerged showing an Ibom Air hostess preventing Ms. Emmanson from alighting from the aircraft, a conduct that could constitute false imprisonment and a possible provocation that escalated the situation. 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 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.”
