NBA Pledges Free Legal Support for Comfort Emmason

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the treatment of Comfort Emmanson by Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), describing it as a gross violation of her right to dignity. 

Following an incident on an Ibom Air flight, Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped of her clothing in public, and humiliated, with the incident being filmed and shared online.

In a statement signed by the president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and general secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the NBA criticised Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, for imposing a lifetime ban on Emmanson without a fair hearing.

According to the NBA, Emmanson was “forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped of her clothing in public, and humiliated” with the incident filmed and shared online.

The association maintained that the conduct was degrading, unlawful, and “a grave affront to the rule of law and human dignity”.

The NBA also referred to video footage allegedly showing an Ibom Air hostess preventing Emmanson from leaving the aircraft, which it said could amount to false imprisonment and may have escalated the situation.

The association condemned the circulation of unedited footage exposing Emmanson’s nudity, describing it as a criminal invasion of privacy. It urged that those responsible for recording and distributing the video be identified and prosecuted.

The association further pledged to provide Emmanson with pro bono legal support to seek redress for the violation of her rights.

The NBA also calls on the Minister of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and security agencies to conduct a thorough inquiry and sanction those found culpable.