Comfort Emmanson, the passenger who assaulted airline officials on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, has been charged to court and remanded in Kirikiri correctional facility.
Tunde Moshood, special adviser on media and communications to the minister of aviation and aerospace development, disclosed this in a post on X on Monday, shortly after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced plans to step up enforcement against unruly passenger behaviour at airports.
“The more reason the flying public should be more careful — the unruly passenger on Uyo-Lagos bound Ibom Air, Miss Comfort Emmanson, has been charged to court and she’s now cooling off in Kirikiri,” Moshood wrote.
Viral videos on social media show an enraged Emmanson attacking flight attendants onboard and later confronting airport security officials.
According to Ibom Air, the incident began shortly before take-off from Uyo when Emmanson refused to comply with standard aviation safety procedures requiring her to switch off her mobile phone. A fellow passenger eventually switched off the phone, triggering a verbal outburst.
Upon arrival in Lagos, Emmanson reportedly confronted the purser who had earlier instructed her to switch off her phone and physically assaulted her.
The airline described her conduct as a serious threat to the safety of crew, passengers, and the aircraft. Ibom Air has since imposed a travel ban on her, prohibiting her from flying on any of its aircraft in the future.