By Prosper Mene
An eyewitness, David Ogede, a lawyer seated next to passenger Comfort Emmanson, has come out to explain that the airline’s crew provoked the incident that led to her forceful removal from the aircraft.
The altercation, which occurred on August 10, 2025, has raised questions about airline staff conduct and passenger treatment, with viral videos showing Emmanson being escorted off the plane by security, her clothes torn and in a state of distress.
Ogede, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, recounted that the incident began before takeoff when Emmanson struggled to switch off her iPhone, explaining that its power button was faulty. While the first air hostess politely instructed passengers to turn off their phones, a second hostess adopted a confrontational tone, repeatedly demanding Emmanson comply despite her pleas for assistance. “The second air hostess told her, ‘I don’t have time for your nonsense. Just switch it off,’” Ogede said, adding that Emmanson, who admitted she could not read, felt humiliated when the hostess dismissed her request for help and mocked her inability to navigate the phone’s settings.
The situation escalated when Emmanson, feeling singled out, questioned the hostess’s behavior, prompting a sharp response: “You had better keep quiet, or I will deal with you.” This, Ogede stated, triggered Emmanson to react angrily, using strong language. The second hostess then retreated to the front of the plane and did not return, while tension lingered among passengers. Ogede noted that the first hostess remained professional, assisting Emmanson with tasks like stowing her belongings before landing.
Ibom Air, in a statement released on August 11, claimed Emmanson refused to switch off her phone, verbally abused crew members, and assaulted them, including attempting to use a fire extinguisher as a weapon. The airline imposed a lifetime ban on her and handed her over to authorities, leading to her remand at Kirikiri Correctional Centre. She was later released after intervention by Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, with charges dropped.
However, Ogede and another eyewitness, Tunde A. Ibrahim, challenged the airline’s narrative, alleging that Emmanson was unfairly targeted. Ibrahim claimed that upon landing, crew members prevented her from disembarking, stating that security had been called, which further escalated the situation. Social media posts have fueled public outrage, with some accusing Ibom Air of mishandling the incident and drawing comparisons to a 2022 case involving Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde (KWAM 1), who faced no prosecution for allegedly disrupting a ValueJet flight.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called for additional eyewitness accounts to investigate the matter, while the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) condemned the “inhuman treatment” of Emmanson, particularly the public exposure in viral videos. The Nigerian Bar Association and other groups have also demanded an independent probe into Ibom Air’s handling of the incident.
Ogede emphasized that while Emmanson’s reaction was inappropriate, the second hostess’s unprofessional conduct inflamed a manageable situation. “With a little bit of humility and humanness, things may have changed,” he said, suggesting that better training in empathy and sensitivity could prevent such incidents.
Ibom Air has denied responsibility for leaking the viral footage and maintains that its actions were driven by safety concerns.
