The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly condemned the treatment of Ms. Comfort Emmanson during a recent incident on an Ibom Air flight, calling it a violation of her dignity and legal rights.
In a statement signed by NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), and General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the association announced it will provide free legal support to Emmanson. It described the actions taken by Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) as unlawful, especially the imposition of a lifetime flight ban without giving Emmanson a fair hearing.
According to the NBA, Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped in public, and humiliated in a manner that was filmed and shared on social media, actions the association described as degrading, illegal, and deeply shameful.
The NBA said the video footage allegedly showed an airline staff preventing Emmanson from leaving the aircraft, an act it claims could amount to false imprisonment and may have escalated the confrontation.
It also criticised the spread of unedited footage exposing Emmanson’s nudity, calling it a criminal breach of privacy. The association urged authorities to identify and prosecute those behind the recording and distribution.
The NBA stressed that only Nigeria’s aviation regulator has the authority to restrict or ban passengers—not private companies or industry groups. It has demanded that Ibom Air immediately withdraw the lifetime ban, issue a public apology to Emmanson, and cooperate with an independent investigation.
The NBA also called on the Minister of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and security agencies to step in and ensure that justice is done.
The incident has sparked public outcry, with many Nigerians demanding answers and accountability over the handling of the matter.
