The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, has shared a preliminary investigation regarding the Ibom Air Passenger, Comfort Emmason’s airport incident.

Naijaonpoint reports that a fresh video, which surfaced online, showed the controversial moment an Ibom Air crew member physically blocked Emmanson from disembarking an aircraft after landing, further fuelling public anger over what many Nigerians describe as the airline’s humiliating treatment of her.

In the video, Emmanson can be heard saying in Pidgin: “Madam abeg comot for road, make I pass. Can you see now, I want to go out and she is standing on the way.”

In an interview with Daily Post, Achimugu said Emmanson displayed unruly behaviour mid-air, giving the middle finger to other passengers and the cabin crew.

Achimugu also clarified that the air hostess blocked Emmanson’s exit because she assaulted her when everyone had left the plane.

He said, “You see, all over the world, unruly passenger behaviour happens every day. And all over the world, any violent passenger can be removed in whatever way security deems fit, given the situation at that moment. There are standard operating protocols for this.

“Now, the case here is that this passenger refused to switch off her phone before departure. Other passengers got mad at this passenger. The passenger in the seat beside her actually collected her phone and turned it off.

“Because, you know, when you refuse to turn off your phone, some passengers are afraid. Yeah, you are reaching the lights of all this, yeah. So the passenger took her phone and turned it off.

“Reports indicate that throughout that flight, she was unruly mid-air, giving the middle finger to other passengers and to the cabin crew. So generally, the cabin crew avoided her. When the plane landed in Lagos, passengers disembarked.

“All of them. Nobody knew that she was still on that aircraft. They thought she had disembarked as well.

“While they were preparing the aircraft for turnaround, she just came out of her seat, 14F, and then worked to the air hostess on her foot and began to slap her.

“Because of that action, security was called. When the passenger learned that security had been called, she wanted to leave the plane, and that is why the air hostess blocked the exit.

“You understand? She blocked the exit. And when security came, you could see she was still struggling and fighting, grabbing people, hitting people, and all of that.

“Bringing such a person out of the small-body aircraft was not going to be tidy. There’s no way it was going to be tidy.

“She needed to be removed. The plane was also due to board other passengers who were waiting for a flight. So they had to remove her by whatever means necessary.”