A Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba, Lagos on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, discharged and set free an Ibom Air passenger, Comfort Emmanson following the withdrawal of the case filed against her by the Nigeria Police Force.
Comfort Emmanson was accused of unruly behaviour and assault aboard an Ibom Air from Uyo to Lagos on Sunday, August 10, 2025.
Following the withdrawal of the charged filed against Ms. Emmanson, the presiding Magistrate, Mr Olanrewaju Salami struck out the case.
The resolution of the case followed the intervention of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, who said that he consulted with the management of Ibom Air which agreed to drop its complaint against Comfort Emmanson.
Keyamo explained that he also held high level consultations with aviation stakeholders and also considered appeals from concerned individuals, in addition to the remorse shown by those involved.
The statement by Keyamo stated; “In the last 48 hours, I have been in consultation with critical stakeholders in the Aviation Sector and those involved in the unfortunate incidents regarding the unruly behaviours of certain individuals at our airports of recent.
“Though regrettable, we think valuable lessons have been learnt by all sides to these incidents and airport security protocol, especially, have been well highlighted for the travelling public. If nothing at all, the episodes have undoubtedly helped to raise public awareness about appropriate conduct within the aviation space.
“As highlighted in my previous statements on the last two incidents, clear wrongs were committed by both the offending passengers and staff of the airlines involved from all the evidence available to us and those available to the public.
“It is clear that all the actors involved cannot continue to highlight the injury or injustice done to them without acknowledging their own equal culpability.
“Therefore, after reviewing the entire incidents, including appeals made by well-meaning individuals and remorse shown by the actors, the following decisions have been reached:
“THE CASE OF IBOM AIRLINE AND MS. COMFORT 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 presence of her lawyer, she exhibited great remorse for her conduct.
“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.
“I have also conferred with the leadership of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) and have appealed to them to lift the life-time flying ban imposed on her, to which they agreed. The details of the resolution will be made public by the AON subsequently,” the minister said.
Emmanson, who was arrested on August 10, following her altercation with staff of Ibom Air, was arraigned on Monday and granted bail in the sum N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, but was remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for failing to meet the conditions.
However, at the resumed hearing on Wednesday, the prosecution counsel, Oluwabunmi Adeitan told the court of fresh developments and applied to withdraw the case.
Accordingly, the Court granted the application and set Comfort Emmanson free.
