By Elizabeth Godwin
An Ikeja Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ogba, Lagos, has discharged Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of unruly conduct and assault aboard an Ibom Air flight.
Presiding Magistrate Olanrewaju Salami, on Wednesday, struck out the five-count charge against her after the police formally withdrew the case.
Emmanson had been accused of disrupting the peace on board the flight, assaulting a crew member, and behaving in a manner likely to breach public order. She pleaded not guilty when first arraigned.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Police Prosecutor Oluwabunmi Adeitan informed the court that the complainant and the airline had decided not to pursue the matter further. Adeitan, acting on instructions from police authorities, applied for the case to be withdrawn.
Granting the application, Magistrate Salami ordered Emmanson’s discharge, effectively bringing the case to a close.
Earlier, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had announced that Comfort Emmanson, would regain her freedom this week.
In a statement posted on X, Keyamo said the decision followed the withdrawal of a formal complaint by Ibom Air and subsequent consultations with stakeholders in the aviation sector. He added that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had agreed to lift the lifetime ban earlier imposed on Emmanson.
“Subsequent to the withdrawal of the complaint by the complainant, the CP of Airport Command and the Police Prosecutor will immediately take the remaining steps to facilitate her release from Kirikiri Prisons within this week,” Keyamo stated, noting that Emmanson showed “great remorse” when questioned in the presence of her lawyer.
Recall that the incident, captured in videos shared on social media, showed an agitated female passenger confronting a flight attendant and later clashing with airport security personnel. Ibom Air’s account of events stated that, shortly before take-off from Uyo, Emmanson was asked to switch off her mobile phone in line with aviation safety rules. She allegedly refused until the Pilot-in-Command addressed the matter, prompting another passenger to switch off the phone on her behalf.
This led to a heated verbal exchange. While the situation was calmed and the flight departed as scheduled, the trouble reportedly resumed after landing in Lagos. Emmanson allegedly waited for other passengers to disembark before approaching the Purser, stepping on her, tearing off her wig, removing her glasses, throwing them to the floor, and striking her with footwear.
She was also accused of slapping the Purser multiple times, assaulting another crew member who intervened, and attempting to seize a fire extinguisher – an action that could have caused damage to the aircraft.
