Lifetime Ban Without Fair Hearing? CSO Challenges Ibom Air, Blames Poor Investigation

A civil society organisation, the Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), has criticised Ibom Air and relevant aviation authorities over their handling of the incident involving passenger Comfort Emmanson, who was placed on a lifetime flight ban following an altercation with airline crew.

In a statement released on Monday, NEFGAD’s Head of Office, Omoniyi Akingunola, described the sanction as “unfair, unjust, and unacceptable,” and offered to provide Emmanson with free legal representation. He called for a comprehensive investigation into both the airline’s actions and the conduct of regulatory bodies.

Videos shared online show Emmanson confronting flight attendants on a Uyo–Lagos flight and clashing with airport security. Ibom Air said the dispute began when the passenger refused to switch off her mobile phone before take-off, breaching aviation safety regulations. The carrier stated that her actions endangered the crew, passengers, and aircraft, prompting the permanent ban.

Akingunola criticised the Airline Operators of Nigeria for issuing the lifetime ban without giving Emmanson a fair hearing, and faulted the police for taking the matter to court without thorough fact-finding. He claimed that available video footage is incomplete and insisted that the airline release in-flight recordings to determine whether her actions were provoked.

According to him, judging the case solely on a clip filmed outside the aircraft is misleading. He suggested the incident may have been deliberately escalated, adding that cabin crew are not law enforcement officers and should avoid actions likely to provoke physical confrontation.