NBA Criticises Airline’s Lifetime Ban on Passenger Accused of Assaulting Crew

A viral video showing a female passenger, Comfort Emmanson, being dragged off an Ibom Air flight, partially stripped and protesting, has triggered national outrage over passenger rights and alleged double standards in Nigeria’s justice system.

The Nigerian Bar Association condemned the airline’s actions as “inhumane and unlawful,” faulting the lifetime ban placed on her and insisting that “only statutory regulators” can issue such sanctions.

“No person, regardless of the circumstances, should be treated in such a degrading manner,” the NBA said, calling for the ban’s withdrawal and an independent investigation.

Critics also drew comparisons with recent incidents involving public figures.

Labour Party’s interim chair, Nenadi Usman, contrasted Emmanson’s swift arrest and jailing with the softer treatment of musician KWAM 1, accused of disrupting a ValueJet flight.

“If this is justice, then it is the most insidious form of pretended justice,” she said.

Human rights activist Aisha Yesufu warned that selective justice undermines the rule of law.

“It applies to everybody, not some people and not others,” she stressed.

Women’s rights group Project Alert also called for consistent protocols in handling unruly passengers, noting that leniency toward celebrities “undermines public trust and sets a dangerous precedent.”

Ibom Air denied releasing the viral footage and said the passenger became violent before being restrained.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority explained that the airline pursued legal action immediately, unlike ValueJet in the KWAM 1 case, which opted for a temporary industry ban instead.

The controversy has fueled calls for clear, uniform rules to ensure all passengers, famous or not, are treated equally under the law.