Sowore lists 3 things wrong with Ibom Air’s treatment of unruly passenger
Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the treatment meted out to an Ibom Air passenger, Comfort Emmanson, who was accused of assaulting an air hostess and airport officials.
DAILY POST reports that viral video clips showed the passenger slapping, kicking, and insulting airline officials, including a female air hostess.
According to eyewitnesses, her actions followed her alleged refusal to switch off her phone before take-off.
In one clip, the passenger could be seen being dragged off the aircraft by airline security officers, with her clothing torn and her breast exposed.
She was subsequently arraigned and detained for her behaviour, while investigations continue.
Reacting, Sowore, in a statement on Tuesday, said, “three things are patently wrong with the treatment meted out” to the passenger.
According to Sowore, “First, I have long spoken about and experienced the reality that many flight attendants in Nigeria do not see passengers as customers deserving courtesy. Instead, they often treat them as people to be ordered around at will. It baffles me that, in 2025, the most important duty for some Nigerian flight attendants still seems to be harassing adults about switching off their phones often shaming or humiliating passengers in the process.
“A polite, professional reminder that phones should be put away during takeoff should be adequate. In the United States, for instance, no one has asked me to switch off my phone in the last ten years, because airlines now encourage passengers to use in-flight internet. I have livestreamed takeoffs and landings in the US as recently as 2024. Also, I have spoken to friends on calls and exchanged WhatsApp messages mid flight countless times in the last year.
“Second, and far more egregious, is the public sexual humiliation this passenger was subjected to. She was stripped of her dignity in a way that will likely leave lasting trauma from an incident that could have been resolved without such violence, force, or degrading treatment.
“Third, and worst of all, was the arbitrary legal persecution that followed. She was essentially ambushed and sent to prison without trial, in what can only be described as a travesty of justice. Many have described this as a discriminatory practice, especially when compared to how other, more powerful individuals, including those accused of more serious infractions, have been treated with kid gloves.
“This is about a systemic culture of abuse, humiliation, impunity, and selective justice that continues to thrive in Nigeria, from customer service to the courts.”
Sowore lists 3 things wrong with Ibom Air’s treatment of unruly passenger
