Comfort Emmanson, the passenger who allegedly assaulted a staff member of Nigerian flight operator Ibom Air, has been remanded in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre by a court in Lagos.
Emmanson was remanded barely 24 hours after being taken into custody by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and handed over to the police, following her actions toward airline officials at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Tunde Moshood, disclosed this development through a statement released on Monday.
Although he confirmed that legal action had been taken against the passenger, Moshood did not provide further details regarding the specific court where she was arraigned or the charges brought against her.
“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,” he said.
Earlier, the management of Ibom Air imposed an indefinite ban on the passenger, prohibiting her from boarding any of its flights due to her actions, which the airline described as a serious threat to the safety of its crew, passengers, and aircraft.
The airline while giving a full detail of what transpired between the Emmanson and staff members, explained that the altercation began on board a flight from Uyo to Lagos.
It stated that shortly before take-off from Uyo, the passenger was instructed, in line with standard aviation safety procedures, to switch off her mobile phone, but she allegedly refused to comply until the Pilot-in-Command made a public announcement.
Following her non-compliance, a fellow passenger seated beside her took the phone and switched it off, prompting a verbal tirade from Emmanson.
According to the airline, the situation was eventually de-escalated through the efforts of the flight crew, and the aircraft was able to depart from Uyo to Lagos as scheduled, without any further disruptions during the flight.
“Upon arrival in Lagos, Ms. Emmanson waited for all other passengers to disembark and then proceeded to confront the Purser who had earlier instructed her. She approached the unsuspecting crew member, stepped on her, forcibly tore off her wig, removed her glasses and threw them to the floor, and then assaulted her with her footwear,” the airline explained.
The airline also reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards any form of unruly or violent behavior that threatens the safety of passengers, crew, or aircraft.
According to Ibom Air, such conduct will be met with the strongest possible response, including legal action and a permanent ban from its services.
