Ibom Air, Rights Group At Odds Over Mistreatment Of Disruptive Passenger

August 13, (THEWILL) — A civil rights organisation, the Centre for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), has called for a thorough investigation into Sunday’s fracas involving a passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, onboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos.

In a statement signed by its Director, Otuekong Franklyn Isong, and Secretary, Barr. Christopher Ekpo, and made available to journalists in Uyo on Tuesday, CHRAN described the incident as “inhuman” and urged the Federal Government to review CCTV footage from the aircraft as part of its inquiry.

The group faulted the lifetime ban imposed on Ms. Emmanson by both Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), describing the action as hasty and urging its suspension pending the conclusion of a comprehensive probe.

CHRAN called on the Ministry of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to ensure that both parties, as well as eyewitnesses onboard the flight, are heard in the course of the investigation.

The rights group alleged that Ms. Emmanson was “bundled out of the flight, dehumanised, stripped naked, videotaped and had the footage circulated online”, in what it described as a gross violation of her fundamental rights to privacy and dignity. It also queried the speed with which she was remanded at Kirikiri Prison after the incident.

While acknowledging that unruly passenger behaviour is unacceptable, CHRAN faulted Ibom Air’s handling of the matter, arguing that the situation could have been contained without escalation if officials had acted more professionally.

In its earlier statement, Ibom Air said the incident, which occurred on Sunday, August 10, involved a passenger whose conduct posed “a serious threat to the safety of our crew, passengers, and aircraft.”

The airline explained that Ms. Emmanson’s behaviour necessitated her removal from the flight to ensure safety and compliance with aviation protocols. It added that her actions disrupted the flight’s operation and breached established safety regulations.

Ibom Air said the decision to ban Ms. Emmanson was taken in line with standard industry practice and in collaboration with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to serve as a deterrent to similar conduct in the future.

The airline maintained that its crew acted in accordance with professional and safety guidelines, and expressed its readiness to cooperate with any investigation into the incident.

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