Anietie Udobit, Abuja
The Nigerian Bar Association has asked Ibom Air to apologize to its passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, for what it describes as the ‘reckless’ and ‘unlawful’ manner of handling the incident that took place on August 10, 2025.
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In a press release signed by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe and general secretary, Dr Mobolaji Ojibara, the NBA described the airline’s actions, including a lifetime flight ban imposed on Ms. Emmanson, as a violation of her right to dignity.
According to the NBA, Ms. Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, publicly stripped of her clothing, and humiliated in an incident that was recorded and widely circulated online.
The association called the treatment “degrading” and a breach of her privacy and dignity, falling short of expected standards in the aviation industry.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Bar Association strongly condemns the treatment of Ms. Comfort Emmanson in the incident aboard an Ibom Air flight on 10 August 2025 and the subsequent lifetime flight ban imposed on her by Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria. These actions are heavy-handed, unlawful, and a grave affront to the rule of law and human dignity.
“It is deeply disturbing that Ms. Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped of her clothing in public, and subjected to humiliation that was filmed and circulated online. Such conduct is degrading, violates her right to dignity and privacy, and falls far short of the standards of civility and professionalism expected in the aviation sector. No person, regardless of the circumstances, should be treated in such a dehumanising manner.
“While Ibom Air has issued its account of events, other video footage has emerged showing an Ibom Air hostess preventing Ms. Emmanson from alighting from the aircraft, a conduct that could constitute false imprisonment and a possible provocation that escalated the situation. This makes it all the more critical that the matter be subjected to an independent, impartial investigation by the appropriate authorities before any disciplinary action is taken against her.”
The association criticised the lifetime ban as a violation of fair hearing principles, arguing that Ms. Emmanson was not given an opportunity to respond to the allegations.
“The decision to impose a lifetime ban without affording Ms. Emmanson a fair opportunity to be heard is equally troubling. Ibom Air has so far only presented its own version of events without giving her the chance to respond.
“This one-sided process, culminating in a ban supported by AON, breaches the fundamental principle of fair hearing and renders the decision legally and morally indefensible. The power to suspend or restrict a passenger’s right to fly rests with the appropriate statutory regulator, not private associations or airline operators acting unilaterally. The photographing, dissemination, and online circulation of indecent images of Ms. Emmanson is also an egregious invasion of privacy and a criminal act.”
It added that, “Even if the incident was to be reported, the footage should have been blurred or edited in such a way that it did not expose her nudity to the public. Those responsible for capturing and distributing the unedited footage must be identified and prosecuted. Such acts erode public trust and undermine the rights of all citizens to be treated with dignity and respect.”
The NBA also stated that only statutory regulators, not private airlines or associations, have the authority to restrict a passenger’s right to fly.
“The NBA demands that Ibom Air immediately withdraw the lifetime ban, issue a public apology to Ms. Emmanson, and cooperate fully with an impartial investigation into this incident. We also call on the Minister for Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and relevant security,” the statement read.