Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, has called the release of a video that depicts an angry passenger being exposed indecently during an Ibom Airline incident “totally unacceptable” and has ordered punishment against the staff members involved.
The passenger, identified as Miss Comfort Emmanson, also called Comfort Bob, is accused of assaulting ground personnel and aircraft crew on August 10, 2025, while traveling from Uyo to Lagos on Ibom Airline.
In a statement posted on his official X account on Monday, Keyamo said that although it was necessary to record her behavior in order to prosecute her, it was shameful that the offensive material was made public.
“While we support the filming of her recalcitrant behavior as evidence to prosecute her, it is deplorable to release such evidence containing indecent exposure to the public to ridicule her,” Keyamo stated.
“We find that very unacceptable. We refuse to stand by and watch as women is devalued.
Therefore, I have ordered that the person who published the portion of the video that showed the staff members being exposed indecently be picked out and given the appropriate punishment.
Along with ordering airlines to educate their employees in handling explosive situations and public relations, the minister also announced that a joint security meeting including pertinent agencies will take place the following week to improve aviation security cooperation.
He said that the passenger’s refusal to turn off her phone before takeoff, in violation of International Civil Aviation Regulations, caused the incident to occur at approximately 2:54 p.m. on Ibom Airline Flight Q153 from Uyo to Lagos.
He claims the passenger has been banned indefinitely from both domestic and foreign flights by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
Thus, he stated, “I have been discussing the incident with the Airport Police Command’s Commissioner of Police, the DG of the NCAA and his team, the MD of FAAN and her team, and the COO of Ibom Air and his team over the past few hours.”
She failed to submit sureties and was remanded at Kirikiri Prison after being arraigned at the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
As a warning that infractions could result in flight suspensions and even criminal charges, Keyamo urged passengers with complaints to contact the NCAA’s Consumer Protection Directorate instead of engaging in disruptive behavior.
The statement ended, “We will continue to apply equal sanctions available to us in Aviation on any such errant passengers, that is lengthy flight bans and report the matters to other law enforcement agencies to do their bit within their powers.”
