Ibom Air has confirmed a violent incident on its Uyo–Lagos flight of Sunday, August 10, 2025, involving a passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, whose actions the airline said endangered the safety of its crew, passengers, and aircraft.
In a statement issued on Monday, the airline explained that shortly before take-off from Uyo, Ms. Emmanson was instructed to switch off her mobile phone in line with aviation safety procedures, but refused until the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement.
According to the statement, a fellow passenger seated beside her eventually switched off the phone, prompting a verbal tirade. The situation was calmed, and the flight departed as scheduled.
Upon arrival in Lagos, the statement said Ms. Emmanson waited for all passengers to disembark before confronting the Purser, who had earlier instructed her to turn off the phone.
“She walked up to the unsuspecting Purser, stepped on her, forcibly tore off her wig, removed her glasses, and threw it to the floor, and used her footwear to assault her. She slapped her several times and when the other cabin crew member tried to intervene, she slapped her too.
“She then attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon, an act that could have damaged and grounded the aircraft,” the statement partly read.
The Pilot-in-Command had by then alerted airport security. “Before security could arrive, the Purser as seen on the viral video on the internet, prevented the passenger from leaving the aircraft until security arrived.
“The arrival of Ibom Air Security personnel did not deter the passenger as she attacked them as well, lashing out violently at both Ibom Air and FAAN security. She was then restrained and removed from the aircraft by force. Even after disembarking, she continued to assault both Ibom Air and FAAN security staff, and even slapped the ground supervisor,” the airline added.
Ms. Emmanson was taken into custody by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) security and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation.
Ibom Air said it had reported the incident to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and placed a travel restriction on Ms. Emmanson, barring her permanently from flying on any of its aircraft.
Reiterating its zero-tolerance policy for unruly or violent conduct, the airline vowed to respond with legal action and permanent restrictions in such cases. It also commended the professionalism of its crew and the swift response of airport security and police.
“Safety remains our highest priority. We urge all passengers to comply with crew instructions at all times for the safety, security, and comfort of everyone on board,” the airline stated.
