Comfort Emmanson Speaks Out After Ibom Air Scandal, Describes Ordeal as “Traumatic”

A passenger at the centre of the controversial Ibom Air incident, Comfort Emmanson, has broken her silence, recounting her experience which led to her arrest, arraignment, and eventual acquittal by a Lagos court.

In an 11-minute video posted on her Instagram page on Sunday, the real estate consultant thanked Nigerians who stood by her during what she called a “traumatic” episode, while also dismissing claims that the matter had political undertones.

Emmanson said the confrontation began on August 10, 2025, during a flight from Uyo to Lagos, when a cabin crew member allegedly insisted that she switch off her mobile phone instead of placing it in flight mode. She explained that one of her devices had a faulty power button but was eventually switched off with the help of another passenger.

The passenger alleged that the situation escalated on arrival in Lagos, when she attempted to disembark but was stopped by the same crew member. According to her, the disagreement turned violent as she was allegedly pushed back into the aircraft, assaulted, and her clothes torn in the presence of other passengers.

“I was stripped, my wig dragged, my necklace broken, and my body exposed. People were recording me. It was humiliating and unbearable,” she lamented. Videos of the incident, which later went viral, showed Emmanson being dragged off the plane in torn clothing, sparking outrage and ridicule online.

The mother of one insisted she did not provoke the crew member, stressing that her reaction was a response to being assaulted and publicly humiliated. She apologised for her outburst, but maintained she would never attack an elderly person unprovoked.

Addressing speculations about the episode being politically motivated, Emmanson described such claims as “false and malicious.” She said: “This was never political. I have been subjected to victimisation and lies. I only wish for redemption and to reclaim my dignity as a woman.”

She added that while she had flown with Ibom Air several times without incident, the events of that day had left her scarred. “I have never been through anything like this. I don’t wish it on my enemy,” she said.