Ibom Air has denied responsibility for the release of a viral video showing a passenger in a state of indecent exposure during a recent in-flight altercation.
The airline’s Group Manager for Marketing and Communications, Aniekan Essienette, in an interview with TVC News on Monday, clarified that the incident occurred on one of their flights, the video was not shared by any Ibom Air staff.
The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, had ordered sanctions against any Ibom Air staff member found responsible for leaking the footage.
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The minister said while filming the incident for use as evidence in court was appropriate, releasing footage containing indecent exposure to the public is “totally unacceptable.”
Recall that Ms Comfort Emmanson was arraigned on Monday before the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on criminal charges after allegedly attacking a flight attendant and clashing with airport security.
She has been remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Centre for failing to produce adequate sureties.
Speaking on the matter, Essienette said that although the recording was made onboard one of the airline’s aircraft, several people in the area were not Ibom Air employees.
“As much as the video was taken on board, we had several other people who were not Ibom Air employees around the vicinity. So, anyone could have taken that video,” she said.
“I can tell you categorically that the video was not released by us. It is rather unfortunate that it has gone viral.
“We do not condone such indecent exposure, so we would not have been the ones to release it.”
The manager explained that the passenger was forcefully removed from the aircraft after resisting instructions to disembark.
“She had tried to come out earlier, but she was restrained because of some activities that had happened behind the scenes, and eventually, the pilot in command had to call security,” Essienette said.
“For us to ensure that security takes her directly off the plane, our crew had to restrain her for a bit, and we saw what resulted after that happened.”
On the rising cases of disruptive behaviour on flights, she said no airline would “go about their business to humiliate a passenger”.
The Ibom Air official asked the authorities to focus on preventing similar incidents in the future.
Keyamo order sanction against leaked video
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has condemned the release of a viral video showing the indecent exposure of Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of assaulting crew members on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos.
In a statement on his X page, Keyamo criticised both Emmanson’s actions and the conduct of those who leaked the footage showing her torn clothing and exposed upper body.
“Whilst we support the filming of her recalcitrant behaviour as evidence to prosecute her, what is deplorable is to release such evidence containing indecent exposure to ridicule her. That is totally unacceptable,” he said.
The minister ordered that Ibom Air officials responsible for releasing the footage be identified and sanctioned. He stressed that his ministry would not tolerate “the debasing of womanhood” in the aviation sector.
Keyamo also directed all airlines to prioritise continuous training and retraining of staff in public relations and crisis management to defuse tensions or prevent incidents from escalating.
He announced that a joint security meeting of relevant agencies will hold next week to improve coordination during volatile situations in airports.
The minister warned that his ministry will impose all applicable sanctions on unruly passengers, including long-term flight bans and reporting offenders to law enforcement for further action.
He reminded travellers that the Consumer Protection Directorate of the NCAA provides laid-down remedies for grievances, urging passengers to avoid taking the law into their own hands.
“For genuinely aggrieved passengers, there are remedies. There is no point resorting to actions that may lead to dire consequences,” Keyamo stated.
