A passenger who assaulted airline officials during an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos has been arraigned in court and remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility.
The accused, identified as Comfort Emmanson, appeared before a court following a widely circulated video showing her attacking flight attendants and confronting airport security officials. The incident reportedly began before take-off in Uyo when she refused to comply with safety instructions to switch off her mobile phone. A fellow passenger sitting beside her eventually turned off the device, triggering a heated outburst.
According to Ibom Air, the confrontation escalated upon arrival in Lagos, where Emmanson physically assaulted the purser who had earlier instructed her to switch off the phone. The airline described her actions as a serious threat to the safety of crew, passengers, and the aircraft.
Tunde Moshood, special adviser on media and communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, confirmed her arraignment and remand in a post on X, adding that she is “cooling off in Kirikiri.”
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has vowed to intensify enforcement against unruly passengers amid rising cases in Nigerian airports. Ibom Air has imposed a lifetime ban on Emmanson, barring her from flying on any of its aircraft.
