The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the treatment of Ms. Comfort Emmanson during an incident aboard an Ibom Air flight, describing it as a gross violation of her right to dignity and the rule of law.
In a statement signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the NBA criticised both Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) for imposing a lifetime flight ban on Emmanson without affording her a fair hearing.
According to the association, Emmanson was “forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped of her clothing in public, and humiliated” — with the ordeal captured on video and circulated online. The NBA said such conduct was degrading, unlawful, and “a grave affront to human dignity.”
The body also referenced footage allegedly showing an Ibom Air hostess blocking Emmanson from exiting the aircraft, an action it said could amount to false imprisonment and may have escalated tensions.
The NBA insisted that only the statutory aviation regulator — not private associations or individual airlines — has the authority to suspend or restrict a passenger’s right to fly.
Furthermore, the association condemned the public circulation of unedited footage exposing Emmanson’s nudity, describing it as a criminal invasion of privacy. It urged authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible for recording and distributing the video.
The NBA demanded that Ibom Air immediately withdraw the lifetime ban, issue a public apology, and fully cooperate with an independent investigation.
It also called on the Minister of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and security agencies to launch a thorough probe and sanction all those found culpable.
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