The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has placed a female passenger, Comfort Emmanson, on its indefinite “No Fly” list after she allegedly assaulted cabin crew and security officials aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos on August 10, 2025.
In a statement on Monday, AON spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, said Emmanson’s conduct posed a significant threat to passenger and crew safety, adding that she is barred from flying with any member airline both within Nigeria and abroad.
According to Ibom Air, the incident began shortly before take-off when Emmanson refused to switch off her mobile phone, prompting a fellow passenger to turn it off. Upon arrival in Lagos, she allegedly launched a verbal and physical attack on the passenger. The airline, which has also imposed its own indefinite travel ban, noted that a video of the altercation—showing both the confrontation and indecent exposure—later surfaced online.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, condemned the public release of the sensitive footage, describing it as “totally unacceptable.” While acknowledging that recording the incident for evidence was justified, he criticised the decision to circulate the material for ridicule, calling it unprofessional and degrading. Keyamo ordered airlines to retrain staff in conflict management and announced plans for a joint security meeting to improve responses to such incidents.
He further revealed that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had referred the case to the police. Emmanson was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Monday and remanded at Kirikiri Prison after failing to meet bail conditions. The minister urged aggrieved passengers to lodge complaints with the NCAA’s Consumer Protection Directorate rather than taking matters into their own hands.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) also issued a warning against rising cases of unruly behaviour at airports. In a statement by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Obiageli Orah, FAAN described such conduct as “entirely unacceptable” and vowed to apply strict sanctions under aviation laws.
