●As Ibom Air management explains what happened in press statement
A female passenger has reportedly disrupted Ibom Air flight at the Lagos Airport.
The flight originated from Akwa-Ibom and terminated in Lagos.
The disruptive incident was captured in several videos shared on X.
It showed an enraged female passenger assaulting a flight attendant and confronting airport security officials.
The clips were shared on Sunday on social media.
Social media users noted that the passenger was on the Uyo to Lagos flight on the same day.
In one clip, while still aboard the plane, the visibly incensed passenger jabs a flight attendant’s head with her finger, yelling, “What did you do?”
“She is hitting me,” the attendant responds calmly.
In another video, the passenger who is now off the plane can be seen screaming at a group of airport security personnel, swatting away cameras, and lunging at persons attempting to hold her down.
Her voice, drowned in the chaos, appeared tinged with fury and frustration.
The passenger’s shirt is also noticeably torn.
Those filming claimed she earlier dished a slap on a crew member.
Moments later, she was overpowered and bundled into a waiting airport bus by security officials.
“SIMPLY COMPLY”
The reason for the passenger’s outburst was unclear but Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), attributed the drama to the passenger’s refusal to comply with flight protocols.
Akpabio hale and hearty in London -Senator Gbenga Daniel [+Video]
“When cabin crew ask you to turn off your phone before takeoff/landing, simply comply. I can’t understand why simple routine issues would lead to incidents like this,” he tweeted in response to the videos.
“Passengers need to understand that they have responsibilities, not just rights.”
Achimugu said the issue would be addressed on Monday as details trickle in.
● Ibom Air management speaks on incident in press statement
For immediate release
Uyo, 11 August 2025
Incident Involving an Unruly Passenger on August 10, 2025
Ibom Air confirms that on Sunday, August 10, 2025, an incident occurred on board our Uyo–Lagos flight involving a passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, whose conduct posed a serious threat to the safety of our crew, passengers, and aircraft.
Shortly before take-off from Uyo, Ms. Emmanson was instructed in line with standard aviation safety procedures, to switch off her mobile phone. She bluntly refused to comply until the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement, after which a fellow passenger seated beside her took the phone and switched it off. This action prompted a verbal tirade from Ms. Emmanson. The situation was eventually calmed, and the flight departed as scheduled.
Upon arrival in Lagos, Ms. Emmanson waited for all other passengers to disembark and then proceeded to confront the Purser who had earlier instructed her. She walked up to the unsuspecting Purser, stepped on her, forcibly tore off her wig, removed her glasses and threw it to the floor, and used her footwear to assault her. She slapped her several times and when the other cabin crew member tried to intervene, she slapped her too. She then attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon, an act that could have damaged and grounded the aircraft.
By this time, the Pilot-in-Command had alerted airport security. Before security could arrive, the Purser as seen on the viral video on the internet, prevented the passenger from leaving the aircraft until security arrived. The arrival of Ibom Air Security personnel, did not deter the passenger as she attacked them as well, lashing out violently at both Ibom Air and FAAN security. She was then restrained and removed from the aircraft by force. Even after disembarking, she continued to assault both Ibom Air and FAAN security staff, and even slapped the ground supervisor.
The passenger was removed from the ramp and taken into custody by FAAN security and handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation.
Ibom Air has since submitted a report on the incident to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and placed a travel restriction on Ms. Emmanson, who will no longer be permitted to fly on any of our aircraft.
Ibom Air reiterates its zero-tolerance policy towards any form of unruly or violent conduct that threatens the safety of passengers, crew, or equipment. Such behavior will be met with the strongest possible response, including legal action and permanent restriction from our services.
We commend the bravery and professionalism of our crew in handling this situation under extremely challenging circumstances, as well as the swift support from airport security and the Nigeria Police.
Safety remains our highest priority. We urge all passengers to comply with crew instructions at all times for the safety, security, and comfort of everyone on board.
Signed
Ibom Airlines Limited
August 11, 2025
On August 5, the NCAA suspended two ValueJet pilots over a safety breach at the domestic wing of the Abuja airport.
KWAM 1’s disorderly conduct had led to the pilot’s suspension.
The NCAA also placed an indefinite travel ban on the celebrity — a revision from six months — pending the conclusion of investigations into the airport altercation.
[With report by TheCable]
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