A civil society group, the Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), has offered to provide free legal support to Miss Comfort Emmanson, the female passenger forcefully removed from an Ibom Air flight.
The group, in a statement on Monday signed by its Head of Office, Omoniyi Akingunola, described Emmanson’s treatment by the airline and regulatory bodies as unfair, unjust, and unacceptable.
NEFGAD said it is not convinced the passenger was treated fairly and has called for a full investigation into the matter. The group also criticised the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) for issuing Emmanson a lifetime flight bans without giving her a fair hearing.
“It is wrong to hand down a lifetime ban without proper investigation or a court ruling. The airline acted like a judge in its own case,” the statement said.
NEFGAD also faulted the Nigerian police for rushing the matter to court without first conducting a thorough fact-finding process.
The organisation questioned the credibility of the video footage circulating online, stating that it only shows what happened outside the plane and not what led to the confrontation. It believes the incident may have started inside the aircraft and was possibly escalated to provoke a reaction.
“How do you explain that a passenger who was ready to disembark suddenly refused to leave? This suggests deliberate provocation,” the group said.
NEFGAD insisted that Ibom Air should release in-flight video footage to give a full picture of the event and determine whether the passenger was reacting to unfair treatment by the cabin crew.
The group also referred to a video released by Emmanson, where she could be seen pleading with a flight attendant to allow her leave the aircraft. According to NEFGAD, her appeal was ignored until other staff arrived and allegedly dragged and stripped her publicly.
Describing the release of her nude video as a criminal violation of her privacy, NEFGAD demanded that those responsible be investigated and prosecuted.
The case has sparked wide public reactions, with many Nigerians divided over whether the airline acted appropriately.
