Ibom Air ‘Unruly’ Passenger Being Considered for Ambassadorial Role, Says Keyamo

Nigeria’s aviation sector may soon see an unusual twist in its efforts to promote better passenger behaviour, as the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) considers appointing Comfort Emmanson, the Ibom Air passenger accused of assaulting a flight attendant, as “Ambassador for good passenger conduct.” The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, just days after Emmanson’s altercation with airline staff went viral.

Emmanson was travelling on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos on Sunday when a confrontation broke out. The airline accused her of attacking crew members by stepping on the Purser, tearing off her wig, smashing her glasses, hitting her with footwear, and attempting to remove a fire extinguisher. Video footage from the incident also showed airline officials dragging her out of the aircraft, during which her upper body was exposed. She was arraigned and remanded in Kirikiri prison on Monday before being released on Wednesday evening.

Keyamo explained that the proposed ambassadorial role would not be a paid appointment but a form of voluntary community service, intended to have her speak publicly against the same conduct she was accused of. He stressed that such rehabilitative measures are common globally and have been used in Nigeria before. “It is not a big position with perks, as some may assume,” he said.

The minister also revealed that a similar role is being considered for Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as KWAM 1, who was recently accused by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) of misconduct for bringing a flask onto a ValueJet flight. The musician claimed it contained water for a medical condition and apologised, but the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had called for his prosecution.

In a bid to resolve the disputes, Keyamo directed Ibom Air to withdraw its criminal complaint against Emmanson and asked AON to lift her flight ban. He also instructed regulators to reduce KWAM 1’s ban to one month and to withdraw criminal complaints against him, noting that both individuals had shown remorse.