The federal government has ordered the withdrawal of charges against Comfort Emmanson, the passenger who was jailed after an altercation with Ibom Air staff, and directed steps for her immediate release from prison.
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation, announced on Wednesday that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had also been told to lift the lifetime ban placed on Emmanson.
“In the case of the unruly passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, on the Ibom Airline on Sunday, the 10th of August, 2025, I have conferred with Ibom Airline to withdraw the complaint against her today. When the Police took her statement in the presence of her lawyer, she exhibited great remorse for her conduct,” the statement reads in part.
“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.
READ MORE: NBA Asks Ibom Air to ‘Immediately’ Withdraw Lifetime Ban on Comfort Emmanson
“I have also conferred with the leadership of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and have appealed to them to lift the lifetime flying ban imposed on her, to which they agreed.”
FIJ noted that while the government has directed the airline to withdraw the charges, it said nothing about charging Ibom Air staff for stripping, filming and sharing Emmason’s nakedness on the internet, or asking them to apologise to her.
READ MORE: Ibom Air, Airport Staff Liable for Unlawful Filming of Manhandled, Exposed Passenger
Videos of Emmanson’s altercation with the staff of Ibom Air became public content on Monday, with videos of her slapping an air hostess who refused to allow her to disembark going viral.
Following the incident, she was charged in court and remanded at the Kirikiri correctional centre. She was supposed to remain in detention until October 6.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) asked the airline to withdraw its case against Emmason. It also directed that the airline must issue a public apology to Emmanson.
Meanwhile, Michael Achimugu, the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the NCAA, said that investigations into the case would proceed.
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