The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has confirmed that Ms. Comfort Emmanson, the unruly passenger who allegedly physically assaulted Ibom Air staff, has been arraigned in court and remanded in prison.
The minister also announced he has ordered sanctions against airline staff who released a video of the incident containing “indecent exposure.”
In a press statement, Keyamo addressed the viral video of the incident on Ibom Air Flight Q153 on August 10, 2025. He noted that the altercation began when the passenger refused to switch off her phone during takeoff, a violation of international civil aviation regulations.
Following the event, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) imposed an indefinite local and international flight ban on Ms. Emmanson.
Keyamo further revealed that the police have since charged her with criminal offenses at the Ikeja Magistrates Court. She has been remanded at Kirikiri Prison after failing to provide adequate sureties.
Keyamo condemned the release of the video footage that contained “indecent exposure” of the passenger, stating that such actions are “totally unacceptable” and “debase womanhood.”
He has directed that the staff member responsible for leaking that part of the video be identified and adequately sanctioned.
The Minister also issued directives to airlines, urging them to retrain their staff in public relations to better handle potentially volatile situations.
He has also called for a joint security meeting with all relevant agencies next week to improve coordination of security measures at airports.
Keyamo concluded his statement by warning genuinely aggrieved passengers to utilize the clearly defined remedies available through the Consumer Protection Directorate of the NCAA, rather than taking the law into their own hands.
He affirmed the ministry’s commitment to imposing severe sanctions, including lengthy flight bans and reporting matters to law enforcement for prosecution.
