The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly criticised Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) for how they handled an incident involving Ms. Comfort Emmanson on August 10, 2025.
In a statement signed by NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe and General Secretary Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the association called the Airline’s actions including banning Ms.Emmanson from flying with them for life,reckless, unlawful, and a violation of her dignity.
The NBA said Ms. Emmanson was dragged off the Aircraft, had her clothes pulled off in public, and was humiliated while people recorded the scene and shared the video online. They described this as degrading and a serious violation of her privacy.
The group also noted that new videos show an Ibom Air hostess blocking Ms. Emmanson from leaving the plane, which could be seen as false imprisonment and may have made the situation worse. They stressed the need for an independent investigation before punishing her.
The NBA criticised the lifetime ban, saying Ms. Emmanson was not given a fair chance to tell her side of the story. They also reminded Ibom Air that only Government Regulators have the power to Ban passengers from flying.
The statement added that sharing videos of Ms. Emmanson’s nudity was a serious invasion of privacy and a crime. The NBA said the people who filmed and posted the unedited videos should be identified and prosecuted.
They demanded that Ibom Air cancel the lifetime Ban, Apologise publicly to Ms. Emmanson, and cooperate with a fair investigation. They also called on the Minister of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and other relevant authorities to take action.
