Comfort Emmanson, an air passenger at the centre of the controversial Ibom Air incident, has given a detailed account of the confrontation that led to her arrest, arraignment, and eventual discharge by a Lagos court.
In a video shared on Instagram on Sunday, the real estate consultant described the experience as “traumatic” and thanked supporters who stood by her.
Emmanson said the incident began on 10 August 2025, during a flight from Uyo to Lagos, when a crew member, identified as Juliana, insisted she switch off her phone instead of placing it in flight mode. She explained that one handset had a faulty power button but, with the assistance of another passenger, she eventually managed to turn off both devices.
The dispute escalated on arrival in Lagos. According to Emmanson, the same attendant prevented her from leaving the aircraft after she briefly stepped away. “She stared at me with a bad eye. I picked up my phone and started recording. That was when she pushed me back inside, dragged my wig, tore my clothes and broke my necklace,” she alleged.
Emmanson said she felt humiliated as she was dragged off the plane with her clothes torn while onlookers recorded videos that later circulated online. “They exposed my body. The pain and shame were unbearable. Some people even turned the videos into stickers,” she said.
She denied provoking the attendant, insisting she reacted only after being assaulted. “God knows I would never poke an elderly woman old enough to be my mother. It was the pain she inflicted on me that made me react,” she explained.
In a follow-up statement on Instagram, Emmanson rejected claims that the incident had political undertones. “Respected individuals have pushed false narratives. My ordeal was not political. I only want redemption and to regain whatever dignity I have left as a woman,” she wrote.
Acknowledging her reaction, she added: “I’ve flown with Ibom Air for years and never experienced this. Whatever happened after I was dragged down came from a place of pain. I apologise for my behaviour. I am not crazy, nor wayward. I have never been in such a situation and I would not wish it on my enemy.”