The arraignment of Comfort Emmanson, the Ibom Air passenger who allegedly assaulted a flight attendant at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Sunday, has triggered a backlash from several Nigerians, including Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate.
Tunde Moshood, the spokesperson for the Minister of Aviation, posted on X on Monday that Ms Emmanson has been remanded in Kirikiri.
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“The more reason the flying public should be more careful, the unruly passenger on the Uyo-Lagos bound Ibom Air, Ms Emmanson, has been charged to court, and she’s now cooling off in Kirikiri,” Mr Moshood wrote on X, hours after the passenger allegedly assaulted Ibom Air flight attendant and clashed with security operatives at the airport.
In addition to the arraignment, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has banned Ms Emmanson from flying in any aircraft in Nigeria for life.
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In a statement on Monday, AON spokesperson Obiora Okonkwo said the ban on Ms Emmanson from flying with any airline belonging to its members, either domestic or international, for life, takes immediate effect.
‘Double standard’, backlash
The prompt actions of the aviation authorities in the country in the prosecution, and a no-fly for life ban placed on Ms Emmanson, while a Fuji music legend, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, also known as Kwam 1, who breached aviation regulations and disrupted airline operations, is yet to be prosecuted over a week after his alleged offence has triggered a backlash from Nigerians.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria alleged that the music icon, Kwam 1, brought alcohol on board an aircraft, a practice that is prohibited on domestic flights in the country.
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The incident led to an altercation between a flight attendant and Kwam 1, an ally of President Bola Tinubu.
The incident triggered widespread controversy, prompting the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to ban the music legend from flying for six months.
Reacting to the punishment meted out to Ms Emmanson, while Kwam 1 is yet to be prosecuted despite their similar offences, Mr Obi said the incident has exposed the double standards and inadequacies of Nigeria’s security operatives in acting “decently and civilisedly”.
While condemning the assault meted out on the Ibom Air crew, Mr Obi also condemned what he described as “the dehumanising treatment meted out to this young woman,” referring to Ms Emmanson, whose body was indecently exposed as the airline workers dragged her out of the aircraft.
“Stripping her publicly was not only unnecessary but also represents the height of rascality and abuse by our agencies. It is unacceptable that she was hurriedly taken to court and remanded, while someone who visibly held a plane from taking off and put hundreds of lives at risk is still at large, with government agencies and some state officials speaking up for him to be forgiven.
“This case is not just about one young woman; it is about the double standards that poison our justice system. Justice in Nigeria must never be about who is poor or powerless versus who has influence or access to government officials.
“While Ms Emmanson is in jail, the other offender, who committed a more severe offence, has not been held to the same standard. He has neither been arrested nor arraigned in any court,” Mr Obi said, referring to Kwam 1
“We must build a country where justice is fair, equal, and not selective, especially against women who are seen to be weaker. This young lady’s offence does not compare to the crimes committed daily by those parading themselves as “excellencies” while looting public funds without consequence, and yet they have not been stripped or dehumanised in the name of justice,” he added, calling for an end on what he described as “selective treatment of the poor or less privileged. If justice must be served, it should be served to all, and it must be served fairly.
“The Minister of Aviation and other relevant authorities owe the public an explanation for these double standards in their adjudication. Justice must be just, or it is nothing at all,” Mr Obi said, in a statement posted on his X handle.
An X user @Tobilobahh has also condemned the action of aviation authorities in the country, describing it as selective justice.
“If you are a son/daughter of a nobody, package yourself properly. There’s nothing like fair justice in this country. Don’t let them use you as a scapegoat,” the user wrote, in a response to an AON statement that he reposted.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has expressed outrage over the viral video showing the indecent exposure of Ms Emmanson. He said the airline workers would be punished for it.
Video of incident
In a video clip of the incident, Ms Emmanson could be seen hitting a flight attendant several times on the cheek before she was forcefully removed from the aircraft with her sky-blue top shirt torn, with her body indecently exposed. Another video clip shows an Ibom Air flight attendant standing at the aircraft door, preventing Ms Emmanson from leaving the aircraft, prompting many Nigerians to suggest that the passenger may have been provoked to assault the flight attendant.
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In a statement earlier, Ibom Air said the passenger also attempted to use a fire extinguisher in the aircraft as a weapon, an action it said constitutes a severe case of unruly passenger behaviour witnessed in the year.
AON, in the statement, said the action was not just disruptive, but it was a sustained violent attack that placed the lives of crew, passengers, and the integrity of the aircraft at risk.
“This behaviour is unacceptable. Therefore, effectively immediately, the AON has placed Ms Emmanson on its No-Fly list indefinitely,” Mr Okonkwo wrote in the statement.
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