The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the treatment of Ms. Comfort Emmanson during an incident aboard an Ibom Air flight, calling it a gross violation of her right to dignity.
In a statement signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), and General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the NBA pledged to provide Emmanson with pro bono legal representation to seek redress, stressing that “respect for human dignity and the rule of law must never be compromised.”
The association 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 NBA, she was “forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped in public, and humiliated” in an incident that was recorded and circulated online.
Describing the act as degrading, unlawful, and “a grave affront to the rule of law and human dignity,” the NBA also referenced video footage allegedly showing an Ibom Air crew member blocking Emmanson from disembarking—an action it said could amount to false imprisonment and may have worsened the situation.
The association insisted that only the statutory aviation regulator—not private airlines or associations—has the authority to suspend or restrict a passenger’s right to fly. It also condemned the release of unedited footage exposing Emmanson’s nudity, calling it a criminal invasion of privacy and urging the prosecution of those responsible for filming and sharing the video.
The NBA demanded that Ibom Air lift the lifetime ban, issue a public apology, and cooperate with an independent investigation. It further called on the Minister of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and security agencies to carry out a thorough inquiry and sanction all parties found culpable.
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