By Chinelo Obogo
Rising clashes between airline passengers, cabin crew and ground staff are scraping off the glossy façade of Nigeria’s aviation industry.
The worrisome development, according to stakeholders, has revealed deep-seated operational flaws, strained customer relations and systemic gaps that threaten both safety and service standards.
In the last few days, disturbing videos have flooded the cyberspace.
First was that of a female passenger onboard an aircraft seen physically assaulting a flight hostess. Hours later, a second video surfaced. This time, the same young woman, partially clothed, was seen forcibly removed from the aircraft by security officials. Within hours, the footage had gone viral across social media platforms, igniting public outrage.
The passenger was Ms Comfort Emmanson and she was onboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos on August 10, 2025.
Her case was not the beginning of the crisis, rather the culmination of what industry insiders would later call “the week of long knives”.
Air rage incidents happen from time to time in the global aviation sector. Nigeria is not insulated from it.
However, what has sent tongues wagging is the rising frequency, making it look like the rule, rather than the exception.
2025 air rage chronicle
On January 8, 2025, a passenger brought an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Abuja to a standstill. The woman, whose checked luggage was not loaded onto the same flight she was on due to weight issues, literally invoked chaos.
The pandemonium, according to authorities, was unnecessary as she was duly notified in advance that her luggage would be loaded onto another flight but refused to accept the explanation.
Instead, she demanded that the load be swapped with another passenger’s so hers goes.
Taking laws into her hand, she stepped into the aircraft and held the plane hostage until the airspace was closed, forcing the cancellation of the entire flight. Eighty-nine passengers were affected by the incident.
Again, in February 2025, Gloria Omisore, a Nigerian passenger was denied boarding at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport for lacking a Schengen visa and she reportedly threw used sanitary pads at check-in staff in protest. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) investigated the incident and Kenya Airways was found culpable and was fined.
Two weeks later, on February 12, three passengers on an Air Peace flight from London to Lagos, Adewale Adedigba, Magnis Ashibuogwu and Iwunze Benjamin, decided to upgrade themselves from economy to business class without official clearance.
They constituted total nuisance onboard and were arrested upon arrival and charged with breach of public peace and violation of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) bylaws.
Influential Nigerians later joined the show of shame
On June 20, 2025, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, was involved in an altercation with Air Peace staff at the Lagos airport. The airline accused him of arriving late for a flight after boarding was completed.
In response, the airline said he reacted violently, “physically assaulting airline personnel and proceeding to seal off the terminal’s main entrance.”
His actions prevented other passengers from entering the terminal and completely disrupted airport operations. Oshiomhole refuted the claims, accusing the airline of overbooking and poor service and said he was fighting for the rights of other passengers.
On August 5, Nigerian musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1) arrived at Abuja airport carrying a flask. When security officials suspected it contained alcohol and denied him boarding, the 67-year-old went berserk.
According to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), KWAM 1 exhibited unruly behaviour. He stood on the tarmac, physically blocking Value Jet’s aircraft taxi path in what authorities described as a “hostage situation.”
The incident was so bad that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, compared it to attempted hijacking. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended two ValueJet pilots for procedural breaches, and KWAM 1 was placed on a no-fly list for six months pending investigation.
The musician later issued a public apology, claiming the flask contained only water
On August 10, 2025, just five days after the KWAM 1 incident, there was another case of unruly behaviour, this time involving Ms. Emmanson.
What happened on that Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos is not fully in the public.
Different versions of the incident have emerged, depending on the narrator
According to one witness, the altercation began when Ms. Emmanson refused to switch off her phone before takeoff.
The airline, however, maintains that it was a case of an unruly passenger who ignored safety protocols, assaulted crew members when confronted, and even attempted to wield a fire extinguisher as a weapon.
David Ogede, a lawyer who sat next to Emmanson in seat 14B, with ticket number was 13ZD1R), said the incident began with routine safety instructions which eventually escalated. He said the first flight attendant instructed all passengers to switch off their phones completely before takeoff and that ‘airplane mode’ was not allowed and also explained they could turn them back on after departure when the airplane reaches the cruising altitude.
He said that the situation shifted after Emmanson explained her phone’s power button was faulty.
“The first air hostess had just briefed us on the emergency exit protocols. After she finished, she walked straight to Emmanson. Even from her posture, it was obvious she came looking for trouble. Emmanson was handling her phone — I could see she was trying to do something, though I wasn’t sure what. The air hostess told her, ‘Switch off your phone, switch off your phone.’ Emmanson replied clearly, ‘Please, the buttons on my phone to switch off are not working. They are not working, so I don’t know how to switch it off.’ But the woman simply repeated, ‘No, switch off your phone.’”
He said this back-and-forth continued until a second flight attendant intervened, making the situation worse.
“The second air hostess said, ‘Look, you are even using an iPhone. You don’t need a button to switch it off.’ Emmanson replied, ‘Okay, I don’t know how to do it. Can you do it for me?’ The hostess responded, ‘I’m not touching your phone. I’m not touching your phone. Just switch it off”, he added.
Ogede said when Emmanson continued to express confusion, the attendant attempted to give verbal instructions through the phone’s settings menu. However, when Emmanson explained she couldn’t read and needed assistance understanding the directions, the situation deteriorated further.
“She asked, ‘Is there a button on my phone? Can you spell “general”?’ The air hostess began spelling it out: ‘G, then E.’ That was when the gentleman on my left and I spoke up. We said, ‘What is going on? Don’t speak to her like this.’ The second air hostess didn’t even acknowledge us. She didn’t look our way to see that someone was speaking,” he said.
At this point, Ogede said he asked a fellow passenger to help with the phone since he wasn’t familiar with iPhone operations. While this was happening, the confrontation escalated verbally. The situation reached a critical point when Emmanson questioned the treatment she was receiving: “Emmanson asked the second air hostess, ‘Why are you embarrassing me like this? Why?’ The hostess replied, ‘You had better keep quiet now. If you say another word, I will deal with you.’”
Ogede said that upon landing, he observed that the first flight attendant, whom he described as professional, assisted Emmanson with stowing her items when she didn’t hear the landing announcements. After touchdown, Emmanson briefly left her seat to use the restroom before disembarkation began. “As a human being and citizen, considering how she was handled during the flight, with a little bit of humility and humanity, things might have been different. The woman felt she was being attacked and singled out. Just an apology and some understanding could have calmed her down. I maintain that if the phone issue had been handled by the first air hostess throughout, it wouldn’t have escalated at all,” he said.
The video that changed everything
Another viral video that emerged from the incident, which was shot from inside the aircraft, showed Emmanson in a confrontation with a flight attendant at the plane’s exit, with the crew member appearing to prevent her from deplaning. The footage showed Emmanson physically assaulting the flight attendant multiple times, but no other passengers are visible, suggesting they had already disembarked.
The video sparked immediate questions from Nigerians. Who recorded it? Who uploaded it? And why was a passenger being detained after landing? Was Emmanson informed during the flight that she had committed an infraction and needed to remain on the plane after landing? Were other passengers advised that police would meet the plane? What are the airline’s policies regarding unruly passenger conduct?
But the most disturbing was the video of Emmanson being dragged out of the airplane by security and air hostesses. Suddenly, a hand reached out and ripped off her blouse, showing her bare chest. Nigerians asked that if no other passengers were left on the plane, who then recorded the video? Was it a member of the flight crew or the police? And who made the decision to upload and circulate footage that violated her dignity and privacy?
The video sparked outrage. While some saw an unruly passenger who was deserving of what happened to her, a majority of the public saw a young woman whose rights and dignity were destroyed.
The response to Emmanson’s case was swift and also severe. She was arrested on August 10, arraigned the next day, and remanded to Kirikiri Correctional Facility. Ibom Air imposed a no-fly restriction, and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) took it further by imposing a lifetime ban, preventing her from flying with any member airline, either domestically or internationally, for life.
But there was pushback. Many noted that the severity of her punishment was worse than how KWAM 1’s case was handled. Former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, was among the first to point out the inequality in treatment. He said on his X handle: “This morning, I woke up to learn that the passenger, the young Ms. Comfort Emmanson, in her twenties, has been banned from flying for life, once again showing how our system works, proving the truth of Anacharsis’ words that ‘the law is like a spider’s web: it catches the weak, while the powerful break through with ease.’ It is a tragic irony that a young lady in her twenties can be banned for life, while we, her parents, commit worse crimes against humanity and are celebrated; those in positions of authority perpetrate far greater offences that harm the nation deeply, yet move freely in comfort, shielded from consequences.”
NBA wades in
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also entered the fray, condemning both Ibom Air and AON.
NBA’s President, Afam Osigwe, described the actions as “reckless and a violation of her right to dignity,” and said the lifetime flight ban by AON was “heavy-handed, unlawful, and a serious affront to the rule of law and human dignity.”
“The power to suspend or restrict a passenger’s right to fly rests with the appropriate statutory regulator, not private associations or airline operators acting unilaterally. Such conduct is degrading, violates her right to dignity and privacy, and falls far short of the standards of civility and professionalism expected in the aviation sector. We will not remain silent while the fundamental rights of any Nigerian are trampled upon, whether by public authorities, private corporations, or individuals. Respect for human dignity and the rule of law must never be compromised, and in this matter, justice must prevail,” the NBA declared.
Experts weigh in
An aviation expert, Amos Akpan, told Daily Sun that the events so far have revealed gaps in Nigeria’s security protocols and a failure to follow procedures. He lamented that aviation, an industry which is built on safety and documentation, was being run by “propaganda, skits, mass opinions, and social media hype.” Akpan stressed that every airline and agency has documented procedures for handling unruly passengers and security breaches. He said that aviation is a “safety-first industry” which is governed by strict regulations, and every action must be executed carefully to avoid risks to passengers and staff.
“These events require introspection by the aviation community. It portrays a negative image for our industry. It reveals gaps in our security protocols. It reveals gaps in our ability to handle unruly and security-risk guests in our aviation facilities. We should not be loud and brazenly audacious like we are achieving laudable goals by these events. Every organisation has written and approved procedures for carrying out their roles in the industry. The NCAA draws its rules and regulations from ICAO Technical Specifications. The airlines, airports, and handling companies draw their operations specifications from their manuals approved by NCAA in accordance with Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.
“We are not permitted to act outside these ops specs, which also include contingency events. When each of these events happened, the organisation involved had its documented procedures to follow. If, upon review and debrief, the procedures were not followed, the system also has inbuilt redress and corrective actions to take and document for future references. This way, we identify noticeable gaps and close them while leaving records for other players in the industry to use as a guide against repeat. We don’t run aviation by propaganda, skits, mass opinions, and social media hype,” he said.
A lawyer, Timi Agbaje, who spoke on the issue, outlined the specific laws which were violated by all parties involved. He cited the Civil Aviation Act 2022 and the Criminal Code, explaining that assault on a crew member, failure to follow instructions, and resisting arrest carry specific fines and jail terms. He also pointed to Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act, which makes the public sharing of “pornographic content” a criminal offense, with a fine of up to N7 million or three years’ imprisonment. He further said that the right to personal liberty, enshrined in Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, dictates that only a court of law can impose a ‘No Fly’ life ban on anyone, and not an industry association.
Minister’s intervention
Faced with mounting pressure and public outrage over what many saw as selective justice, Keyamo stepped in. He said: “Clear wrongs were committed by both the offending passengers and staff of the airlines involved from all the evidence available. It is clear all the actors involved cannot continue to highlight the injury or injustice done to them without acknowledging their own equal culpability.”
Keyamo announced that he had convinced Ibom Air to withdraw its complaint after she “exhibited great remorse for her conduct” during her police statement. He also said the lifetime flying ban would be lifted, and she would be released from Kirikiri Prison.
On KWAM 1, the minister said his flight ban was reduced to just one month, and FAAN announced plans to work with him “as an ambassador for proper airport security protocol going forward.” The two ValueJet pilots who had been suspended would have their licenses restored after a one-month suspension and mandatory professional reappraisal.
AON lifts ‘No Fly’ life ban
Following the Minister’s intervention, the AON formally lifted the lifetime ban on Ms. Emmanson. In their statement, they reaffirmed their commitment to a “zero-tolerance policy towards unruly passenger behaviour” but agreed to participate in the retraining retreats and to launch a public sensitisation campaign.
In a statement signed on Thursday by its spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, the AON said the decision was made following the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo. The body said that, having considered all the circumstances of the matter — including the exhibition of remorse for her behaviour, as reported, the withdrawal of the complaint, and consequent striking out of the charges, as well as the release of Ms. Emmanson from custody — the statement of Government that it takes aviation safety and security very seriously and the decision to draw a line after these clemencies, and the proposed retreat to retrain Aviation Security (AVSEC) personnel and airline crew on the handling of unruly and disruptive passengers, the AON has lifted the ban.
The body said: “We call on the relevant aviation agencies to immediately commence the sensitisation of the public on the dangers and consequences of unruly behaviour at airport terminals and onboard aircraft, as spelt out in Section 85 of the Civil Aviation Act, 2022, and Part 17 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, 2023.
“We believe that incidents of unruly and disruptive behaviour at airport terminals and onboard aircraft will greatly reduce if passengers are aware that such behaviour poses a danger to flight safety and are offences under the law, punishable with a fine or imprisonment, or both. Unruly behaviour includes but is not limited to: assaulting, intimidating, or threatening any flight or cabin crew member; using a mobile phone and/or other communication/electronic gadget onboard aircraft against the instruction of the pilot-in-command or flight crew or cabin crew; smoking onboard aircraft or in a non-smoking area of the terminal building; fighting or other disorderly conduct onboard an aircraft or at the terminal building; any conduct constituting a nuisance to other passengers; disobedience of lawful instruction issued by the pilot-in-command, flight crew, cabin crew, check-in staff and/or security screening staff; any conduct that endangers the safety of flight operations; tampering with smoke detectors or other aircraft equipment.”
The body said all members shall cooperate with the relevant aviation agencies and participate in the retraining retreats on how to handle cases of unruly and disruptive passengers as proposed by the Minister, and reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy towards unruly passenger behaviour, urging aggrieved passengers to follow proper channels in expressing their grievances.
Cost of unruly passenger behaviour
Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, revealed that passenger unruly behaviour contributed more to flight disruptions than operational issues. He said attempts by passengers to force immediate rebooking have disrupted multiple flight schedules and created operational problems.
The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Capt. Ado Sanusi, estimated that Nigerian airlines lose approximately N15 billion annually due to flight disruption issues, which include passenger behaviour, litigation, and fraud, while the Association of Nigerian Aviation Professionals (ANAP) has called for a review of protocols on handling violent passenger behaviour, enhanced protection for aviation staff, and stronger enforcement of penalties — including fines between N1 million and N10 million, jail time of 6–12 months, and no-fly listings.
The NCAA’s spokesperson, Mike Achimugu, noted on his X handle on Thursday that globally, such incidents have increased. “Globally, mediation is a key element of conflict resolution. All parties have learned lessons. I am certain that K-1 will never repeat his actions in the ValueJet saga. The unruly Ibom Air passenger will think twice before losing control to the extent that she did. All passengers who reached out to me asserted that the hostess was rude to the passenger, and the cabin crew would face ramifications for her actions. However, it does not absolve the passenger of unruly behaviour because, anywhere on earth, the response to rudeness is not to slap people and attempt to damage an aircraft,” he said.
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