The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly criticised Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) for their handling of the August 10 incident involving Ms. Comfort Emmanson, calling the airline’s actions “reckless,” “unlawful,” and a “grave affront to human dignity.”
In a joint statement signed by NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, and General Secretary, Dr Mobolaji Ojibara, the association condemned the reported forcible removal of Ms. Emmanson from an Ibom Air flight, during which she was allegedly stripped in public, humiliated, and filmed — with the footage later circulating widely online.
“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,” the statement read. “These actions are heavy-handed, unlawful, and a grave affront to the rule of law and human dignity.”
According to the NBA, video evidence also shows an Ibom Air hostess preventing Ms. Emmanson from leaving the aircraft, which it argued could amount to false imprisonment and may have escalated the situation. The association stressed that only an independent and impartial investigation could establish the facts before any disciplinary action is taken.
The association further criticised the lifetime ban placed on Ms. Emmanson as a violation of the constitutional right to fair hearing.
“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,” the statement noted. “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 NBA also condemned the recording and public dissemination of indecent footage of Ms. Emmanson, describing it as a criminal breach of privacy.
“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,” the association demanded.
The NBA called on the Minister of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to commence an urgent and transparent investigation. It also urged Ibom Air to withdraw the lifetime ban and issue a public apology to Ms. Emmanson.
