LAGOS
A female passenger, Comfort Bob, who allegedly assaulted Ibom Air’s crew and clashed with airport security at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, has been remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Security prison in Lagos.
The 26-year-old woman, yesterday, appeared before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba, Lagos, for allegedly causing chaos aboard an Ibom Air flight shortly after it landed at Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), Ikeja.
She was remanded by the court. Also, the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, has placed her on “no fly” list indefinitely.
However, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, condemned the release of indecent footage on the unruly passenger.
Bob, whose address was not provided, is facing a five-count charge bordering on disorderly conduct, assault, and malicious damage, offences said to contravene the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, bye-laws and the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Police Prosecutor told the court that the incident occurred about 2:30p.m., on August 10, 2025, while Ibom Air flight No. SN-BXP was parked at MMA2 after arrival.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Comfort Bob, on the said date and place, did behave in an unruly and disorderly manner by shouting on top of your voice, abusing and assaulting the flight crew and refusing to disembark from the aircraft after landing, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 4(1)(a) and punishable under Section 4(2) of the FAAN bye-law, 2005.”
Another count alleged: “That you, Comfort Bob, on the same date and place, did assault one Jokpame Sagun by hitting her face with your slippers and thereby commit-ted an offence contrary to Section 170(1)(a)(b) and punishable under Section 172 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
The court further heard that the defendant willfully damaded an aircraft divider curtain valued at $2,500, property of Ibom Air, and tore a N110,000 braided wig belonging to one of the victims.
She was remanded in prison custody pending further hearing of the matter slated for October 6, 2025.
Earlier, the spokesperson for Airport Operators of Nigeria, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, in a statement said: “The incident which Ibom Air described, from the initial refusal by the passenger to comply with safety instructions regarding mobile phone usage which led to the brutal physical assault on Ibom Air crew members and the attempted use of a fire extinguisher as a weapon, constitute one of the most severe cases of unruly passenger behaviour witnessed this year.
“This was not just disruptive, it was a sustained, violent attack that placed the lives of crew, passengers and the integrity of the aircraft itself at risk. This behaviour is unacceptable. Therefore, effective immediately, the AON has placed Emmanson on its ‘no fly’ list indefinitely.
‘’She is hereby banned from flying with any AON member, either domestically or internationally, for life. Such incidents have become one too many, with the most recent being the incident involving Nigerian musician, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal on Valuelet and the unruly behaviour of Senator Adams Oshiomhole towards the members of staff of Air Peace.”
Meanwhile, The Minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, condemned the release of indecent footage of Ms Comfort being dragged out of the aircraft with parts of her private parts exposed. He said it was unacceptable and the staff should face sanctions
The minister, in a statement said: “Apart from the indefinite flight ban imposed on the said unruly passenger (both local and international) by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the police has promptly arraigned her this morning (yesterday) at Ikeja Magistrates Court for criminal offences and remanded her at Kirikiri prison as she could not provide adequate sureties in court. I have attached the charge sheet and remand order for clarity.
“We also note the scuffle that took place between the unruly passenger and ground personnel before she was eventually subdued. This was because of her uncooperative attitude.
‘’Whilst we support the filming of her recalcitrant behaviour as evidence to prosecute her, what is deplorable is to release such evidence containing indecent exposure to the public to ridicule her. That is totally unacceptable to us.
‘’We will not fold our arms and tolerate the debasing of womanhood. I have, therefore, directed that whoever released that part of the video containing the indecent exposure among the staff be singled out and adequately sanctioned.
“I have also directed that the airlines must continue to train and retrain their staff in public relations and how to deal with potentially explosive situations in order to diffuse them promptly or nip them in the bud, except when it becomes inevitable.”
