Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 elections, has criticised the handling of Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of slapping a flight attendant on an Ibom Air flight.
In a post on Tuesday, Sowore alleged that many flight attendants in Nigeria treat passengers “as people to be ordered around at will” rather than as customers deserving courtesy.
“It baffles me that, in 2025, the most important duty for some Nigerian flight attendants still seems to be harassing adults about switching off their phones, often shaming or humiliating passengers in the process,” he said.
Citing his experience in the United States, Sowore argued that phone restrictions during flights have become outdated, noting that he has livestreamed take-offs and landings and made calls mid-flight without interference.
The activist described the treatment of Emmanson as “public sexual humiliation”, saying she was stripped of her dignity in a manner likely to cause lasting trauma.
He also condemned her “arbitrary legal persecution”, alleging that she was “ambushed and sent to prison without trial.”
“This is about a systemic culture of abuse, humiliation, impunity, and selective justice that continues to thrive in Nigeria, from customer service to the courts,” he added.