Comfort Emmanson, the passenger who assaulted airline officials on an Ibom Air flight arriving in Lagos from Uyo, has reportedly been charged to court.
Tunde Moshood, the special adviser on media and communications to the minister of aviation and aerospace development, stated that Emmanson is currently remanded in Kirikiri correctional facility.
Moshood made this known in a post on X on Monday — shortly after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced that enforcement actions would soon become more frequent at Nigerian airports due to the rising cases of unruly passenger behavior.
“The more reason the flying public should be more careful, the unruly passenger on Uyo-Lagos bound Ibom Air, Miss Comfort Emmanson has been charged to court and she’s now cooling off in Kirikiri,” Moshood said.
Videos circulating on social media showed an enraged Emmanson attacking flight attendants on the Ibom Air plane and confronting airport security officials.
Ibom Air explained that the incident began shortly before take-off from Uyo when Emmanson refused to comply with standard aviation safety procedures requiring her to switch off her mobile phone.
The airline said a fellow passenger seated beside her took the phone and switched it off, which triggered a verbal tirade from Emmanson.
Upon arrival in Lagos, Emmanson confronted the purser who had earlier instructed her to switch off the phone and physically assaulted her, according to the airline. Ibom Air stated that her conduct posed a serious threat to the safety of the crew, passengers, and aircraft.
As a result, the domestic carrier imposed a travel restriction on her, announcing that she will no longer be allowed to fly on any of its aircraft.