The Nigerian Bar Association has condemned Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria for their handling of the incident that involved Ms. Comfort Emmanson on an Ibom Air flight on August 10, 2025.
In a press release signed by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe and general secretary, Dr Mobolaji Ojibara, the NBA described the airline’s actions, including a lifetime flight ban imposed on Ms. Emmanson, as “reckless,” “unlawful,” and a violation of her right to dignity.
According to the NBA, Ms. Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, publicly stripped of her clothing, and humiliated in an incident that was recorded and widely circulated online.
The association called the treatment “degrading” and a breach of her privacy and dignity, falling short of expected standards in the aviation industry.
The statement read, “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.
“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 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.”