Ibom Air has imposed a lifetime travel ban on a passenger following a violent altercation aboard one of its flights that saw crew members physically assaulted and safety equipment compromised.
The incident occurred on Sunday 10 August aboard a Uyo to Lagos service.
The airline confirmed in a statement on Monday that passenger Comfort Emmanson became disruptive when asked to switch off her mobile phone before takeoff from Uyo.
“She bluntly refused to comply until the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement,” the statement said, noting that a fellow passenger eventually intervened to power off the device.
Matters escalated dramatically upon arrival in Lagos. According to the airline’s account, Emmanson waited for other passengers to disembark before launching a physical attack on the cabin crew.
“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,” Ibom Air stated.
The confrontation intensified when the passenger allegedly slapped another crew member who tried to intervene. Most alarmingly, she then attempted to access the aircraft’s fire extinguisher, an act described by the airline as one that “could have damaged and grounded the aircraft.”
Airport security were alerted but faced further resistance. “The arrival of Ibom Air Security personnel did not deter the passenger as she attacked them as well,” the statement continued, adding that she was eventually restrained and handed over to Nigerian police.
Ibom Air has reported the incident to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and taken the unusual step of imposing a permanent flight ban. “Such behaviour will be met with the strongest possible response, including legal action and permanent restriction from our services,” the carrier warned.
The airline praised its staff’s handling of the situation, commending “the bravery and professionalism of our crew in handling this situation under extremely challenging circumstances.” Authorities including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Nigeria Police Force are investigating.
Aviation experts note that such incidents, while rare, pose serious safety risks. Under international aviation regulations, interfering with crew members constitutes a criminal offence that can carry substantial penalties.
Ibom Air emphasised that compliance with crew instructions remains fundamental to flight safety. “We urge all passengers to comply with crew instructions at all times for the safety, security and comfort of everyone on board,” the statement concluded.
The incident came just few days after a popular Nigerian fuji musical icon popularly know as K1 was seen trying to disrupt a taxiing plan at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja from taking off.
K1 has been placed on six months no flight list both local and international.
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