Nigeria’s aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, announced this week that he had persuaded Ibom Air to drop criminal charges against a passenger involved in a heated onboard dispute, portraying his intervention as key to resolving the matter.
But according to sources familiar with the discussions, the airline had no intention of pursuing the case in court from the outset, raising questions about the accuracy of the minister’s account.
About The Incident
The incident unfolded on Aug. 10 aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos, when a confrontation between a flight attendant, identified as Juliana Edward, and passenger Comfort Emmanson escalated into physical violence.
Videos that circulated online showed Ms. Emmanson’s clothing being torn, exposing her in a humiliating manner, as she clashed with airport personnel attempting to intervene.
The footage sparked widespread public anger, with the Nigerian Bar Association offering to represent her pro bono.
Ms. Emmanson was subsequently arraigned and remanded to Kirikiri prison, a development that intensified scrutiny of airline security protocols and passenger rights in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Minister’s Alleged Intervention
On Wednesday, Mr. Keyamo posted on the social media platform X that the charges had been withdrawn following consultations with stakeholders, including Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria.
“In the last 48 hours, I have been in consultation with critical stakeholders in the Aviation Sector and those involved in the unfortunate incidents regarding the unruly behaviours of certain individuals at our airports of recent,” Mr. Keyamo wrote.
He added that he had “conferred with Ibom Airline to withdraw the Complaint against her today,” noting that Ms. Emmanson had shown “great remorse” during her police statement.
He further stated that the police would facilitate her release from prison and that he had appealed to airline operators to lift a lifetime flying ban imposed on her, which they agreed to do.
However, sources close to the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of professional repercussions, told the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) that Ibom Air’s management had actively sought to avoid litigation.
“From experience, in situations like this, airlines do not like court cases; they do not like the bad press that comes with prolonging a case like this until it gets to court,” one source said.
The airline reportedly recognized shortcomings in its staff’s handling of the situation, which contributed to the escalation.
The sources emphasized that Mr. Keyamo’s portrayal of convincing Ibom Air was misleading, as the airline required no persuasion. Instead, it was the police who insisted on proceeding to court, turning the matter into a formal legal proceeding despite the airline’s reluctance.
Contrary to the minister’s claim of remorse, the sources described Ms. Emmanson as resolute in her belief that she had been wronged.
“Comfort Emmanson was never at any point remorseful,” the source added. “She maintained she was unfairly treated throughout; until the very end, she displayed an eagerness to fight using all legally permissible means.”
“I Will Give Out My Own Version”
Ms. Emmanson had expressed a strong desire to pursue the case in court, viewing it as an opportunity to address the alleged mistreatment.
She was released from Kirikiri prison on Wednesday afternoon, as promised in Mr. Keyamo’s statement.
In an Instagram post shortly after, she indicated plans to share her account of the events once she had rested and received medical attention. “I will give out my own version of the event,” she wrote.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria is expected to release details on the resolution of the flying ban in the coming days.
This article was edited with AI and reviewed by human editors
