ON THE TREATMENT OF IBOM AIR PASSENGER COMFORT EMMANSON

Omoyele Sowore

Tuesday 12th August, 2025.

ON THE TREATMENT OF IBOM AIR PASSENGER COMFORT EMMANSON

Three things are patently wrong with the treatment meted out to Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of slapping a flight attendant on an Ibom Air flight a few days ago.

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. #RevolutionNow