Comfort Emmanson, the passenger at the center of a widely publicized altercation on an Ibom Air flight, has spoken out to give her account of the events that led to her being banned from flying.
Videos of the incident, which occurred on August 10, went viral, showing Emmanson in a heated confrontation with a flight attendant and later with airport security.
Ibom Air had previously stated that the dispute began when Emmanson refused to turn off her phone, which is a violation of aviation safety rules.
The airline also alleged that she assaulted a flight attendant upon landing in Lagos.
This led to her initially being banned from Ibom Air and placed on a lifetime “no-fly” list by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), who called her behavior “one of the worst cases of passenger misconduct this year.”
In an Instagram post, Emmanson claimed that she didn’t refuse to turn off her phone. Instead, she said she struggled to do so because the power button was faulty.
She alleges that after another passenger helped her, a flight attendant, identified as Juliana, told her, “You will see.”
Emmanson said she did not take the comment seriously until after the plane landed in Lagos and she was stopped from disembarking without an explanation.
After being remanded to Kirikiri Prison on assault charges, her case was dismissed by the court.
She said: “On August 10, I boarded a flight from Uyo to Lagos. During the usual pre-flight checks, a flight attendant named Juliana got to my seat. I was already struggling to put my phone on flight mode, but she insisted that I switch it off completely.
“I explained that one of my phones had a faulty power button, but she told me I could still switch it off through the settings.
“The man sitting beside me helped me turn it off because, honestly, her facial expression discouraged me from asking her directly. Afterwards, I told her the phone was off, but before leaving, she said, ‘You will see.’ I didn’t take it seriously at that point.”
“When we landed in Lagos, I was pressed and went to use the toilet, but since someone was inside, I had to wait. By the time I came out, most passengers had already left.
“I tried to rush out too, but Juliana stopped me without giving a clear reason.”
Emmanson admitted that her outburst on the Ibom Air flight was fueled by anger and humiliation after being dragged and embarrassed. She explained that she reacted by lashing out at both the men and the air hostess.
Read Also: Ibom Air Saga: Emmanson breaks silence after court acquittal
Emmanson insisted the incident was not a serious matter and expressed surprise at how it escalated, eventually leading to recordings.
She described the circulation of a viral video exposing her private part as “deeply traumatic,” adding that it has made it difficult for her to return to normal life.
She continued: “I started recording because I didn’t understand why she was holding me back. When she noticed, she pushed me, dragged my frontal, tore my clothes, broke my chain, and insulted me, even calling me a prostitute,” she added.
“In the process, my phones got damaged. Out of anger and pain, I poked her back. I admit I wouldn’t have done that if I weren’t provoked.
“After that, some men dragged me out roughly, pulling at my clothes until my body was exposed. Cameras were everywhere, and people were recording me. It was humiliating.
“Later, I saw those videos online, with my body exposed, and some people even made stickers out of them. The trauma has been overwhelming. I can hardly go out because I feel ashamed that my body is all over the internet.
“I don’t know how I’ll return to my job. Imagine trying to sell a house, and people are looking at me differently because of those videos.
“I keep thinking about my future husband, my children, and my reputation.
“What happened on the flight wasn’t a big deal, so I never expected it to escalate this way. But now people mock me everywhere, and I honestly don’t know how to move on. I’m not a troublesome person or a nuisance.”
