The Federal Government has condemned the leak of a video showing an unruly Ibom Air passenger in a compromising state, vowing to take action against the airline staff responsible for releasing it.
In a statement issued yesterday, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, described the footage as a serious breach of personal dignity and “a debasing of womanhood.”
While acknowledging that the passenger’s behaviour was unacceptable and posed a safety risk, Keyamo stressed that respect for human dignity — particularly that of women — must never be compromised.
The minister said he had engaged the Commissioner of Police at the Airport Police Command, the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and Ibom Air’s Chief Operating Officer to address the matter.
According to Keyamo, the NCAA has placed an indefinite ban on the passenger from flying both locally and internationally. She was also arraigned yesterday at the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, where she was remanded to Kirikiri Prison for failing to meet bail conditions.
The incident involved Ms. Comfort Emmanson, who was travelling from Uyo to Lagos on August 10 when she ignored safety instructions and assaulted both cabin crew and airport security. The altercation — captured on video — showed her yanking off a crew member’s wig, slapping her, and even attempting to wield a fire extinguisher as a weapon.
Keyamo further revealed that a joint security meeting will be held next week to improve cooperation between airlines and airport authorities, noting that stronger collaboration is vital to preventing similar incidents in the future.
He added that the airline personnel who shared the explicit video would face disciplinary action and instructed Ibom Air to retrain its staff in conflict resolution and public relations.
Concluding his statement, the minister warned that “taking the law into one’s hands will attract dire consequences” and urged all travellers to address grievances through the proper channels.