Lawyer Shares Why Woman Dragged Out of Ibom Air Will Win in Court, Make Millions, Nigerians React
- Ibom Air is in the news after one of its passengers was arrested at the Lagos airport for alleged unruly behaviour
- Details of the incident have been shared online, and observers believe that the passenger has a strong case
- The airline has imposed a travel ban on the passenger and also warned passengers of violent behaviour
Legit.ng journalist Dave Ibemere has over a decade of experience in business journalism, with in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian economy, stocks, and general market trends.
Nigerians have taken to social media to react to the viral video showing Ibom Air removing Ms. Comfort Emmanson, a passenger, from its Uyo-Lagos flight on Sunday, August 10, 2025.
One observation is from an X lawyer who believes that the passenger has a good legal case against the airline if she chooses to sue
Source: Facebook
He noted that the passenger could demand hundreds of millions in compensation, given how she was treated, including the posting of her private parts online.
He stated:
"Usually, and it’s sad a lot of Nigerians are unaware of their rights in this regard but when you purchase a ticket, you enter into a contract with the airline for safe, dignified, and timely carriage from one destination to another.
"Unlawful ejection from the aircraft without lawful justification especially in this way and manner that left this lady naked with her lady parts in the public and further recorded and posted on the internet constitutes a breach of that contract. This woman is entitled to damages for the great and possibly lifelong humiliation she has suffered."
He stressed that the law frowns on unwanted physical contact, especially in a forceful removal, especially by unauthorised persons.
" The use of unnecessary force can give rise to both civil claims for damages and possible criminal liability for the individuals involved."
Quoting Section 34(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) guarantees the right to dignity of every Nigerian citizen.
He argued that even if it’s the police conducting an arrest, they still have to consider your decency.
He continued:
"Being stripped naked in public, particularly with others recording the incident definitely leads to reputational harm. Millions of people worldwide have already seen this video which was posted by the airline. Even though it is clear that the unauthorised recording and dissemination of such video is a violation of privacy under the Nigerian law. If this lady decides to sue on just this point, she has very good basis for a claim in tort.
This is Breach of Dignity under the Constitution. The act of stripping a passenger of her dignity through public exposure and humiliation is a constitutional wrong and a good lawyer on this woman’s side can easily convince any Federal High court in Nigeria to award exemplary damages."
Source: Twitter
Nigerians react to Ibom Air incident
Reacting @Kodiri_ wrote:
He said:
"They did it because it serves one purpose; which is to debase the lady, since they know how Nigerians behave to such video. I hope a lawyer takes up her case."
Human right lawyer, Festus Ogun, also added:
"Those Ibom Air officers involved in striping Comfort naked should be arrested and prosecuted. If Comfort was male, would they have descended on her in such a callous and inhumane manner? This is totally condemnable and unacceptable. There must be some level of consequences."
@TheSerahIbrahim noted:
"The fact that this video exposing this passenger’s private part is online may give her some legal right. If this passenger gets a good lawyer, Ibom Air may be having to pay a good fee for damages.
"The passenger was wrong, but exposing her is very wrong."
Ibom Air bans Comfort Emmanson for unruly behaviour
Ealier, Legit.ng reported that Ibom Air released a statement stating that the passenger acted unruly and refused to comply with standard aviation safety procedures.
It also alleged that the passenger slapped one of its officials when disembarking from the aircraft. It explained that the issues started before the journey when the flight crew and the pilot-in-command instructed the passenger to turn off her device before takeoff.
Ibom Air said she refused, and it took the effort of another passenger to turn off the device and that she also attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
