Nigerian airlines ban passenger over violent assault on Ibom Air Crew

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has imposed a lifetime flight ban on Comfort Emmanson, a female passenger accused of violently assaulting crew members on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos on 10 August.

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The AON is the association of Nigeria’s domestic airlines.

The incident, which began shortly before take-off at Victor Attah International Airport, reportedly escalated when Ms Emmanson refused to switch off her mobile phone despite repeated safety instructions.

According to Ibom Air, another passenger seated beside her switched off the device, prompting a verbal outburst that turned into a physical confrontation with the cabin crew.

Upon arrival in Lagos, the airline said Ms Emmanson confronted the purser, the crew member who had earlier instructed her to turn off her phone, and physically assaulted her. Eyewitness accounts and video footage circulating online show her attempting to use a fire extinguisher during the altercation.

Some of the video footage also shows Mr Emmanson being forced by airport security into a van, during which her clothes were torn and her upper body inappropriately exposed.

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Tunde Moshood, spokesperson to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed that Ms Emmanson has been charged to court and remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.in

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AON spokesperson Obiora Okonkwo described the act as “one of the most severe cases of unruly behaviour” witnessed in the sector this year.

He announced that Ms Emmanson will no longer be allowed to fly with any domestic airline under the association’s membership.

“This was not just disruptive; it was a sustained, violent attack that placed the lives of crew, passengers, and the aircraft at risk,” Mr Okonkwo said in a statement.

The ban comes amid rising incidents of unruly passengers in Nigeria’s aviation industry, with recent cases involving prominent figures such as musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1) and a senator, Adams Oshiomhole, on separate domestic flights.

AON also urged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen Aviation Security (AVSEC) protocols across airports to protect crew and passengers from similar threats.