Admin
A passenger on Akwa Ibom-owned airline, Ibom Air, Ms. Comfort Emmason, has narrated how she was allegedly harassed and intimidated on a flight from Uyo to Lagos State.
Naija News recalls that Emmason was on August 10th, removed from a flight from Lagos to Uyo after allegedly refusing to turn off her phone as instructed by crew members.
The situation escalated when she became physically aggressive, struck a flight attendant, and had to be restrained and escorted off the aircraft at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport.
Following that, Ibom Air imposed a lifetime ban on her, while she was also arraigned and remanded in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
However, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed, on Wednesday, that the government had directed the withdrawal of criminal complaints against Emmason.
She was subsequently released from Kirikiri prison after all charges against her was withdrawn from the court.
Taking to Facebook on Friday, Emmanson said she had no intention of being unruly on the flight, adding that she was insulted by the air hostess.
She lamented that she was dragged like a criminal after the incident degenerated.
Her post read, “I boarded the flight peacefully like every other passenger, with no intention of disturbing anyone. I took my seat and waited for take-off.
“While we were still on the ground, the cabin crew started the normal safety checks, and that was when I was asked to switch off my phone.
“I politely explained that my phone had a faulty power button, and because of that I normally let the battery run down or use airplane mode instead. I also told the air hostess that if she could assist me, I would gladly hand over the phone for her to switch it off herself.”
She said the first hostess who spoke to her was polite and understanding, adding that the second flight attendant spoke in a disrespectful tone.
The female passenger said, “She said, ‘I don’t have time for your excuses. Just switch it off.’ I calmly tried to explain again, but she cut me short and said, ‘If you don’t want trouble, you had better obey.’
“At that point, some passengers sitting close to me even intervened, and one of them helped me switch the phone off completely.
“Even after the phone was switched off, the same air hostess continued looking at me in a very aggressive way, almost as if she wanted a fight. I kept quiet because I didn’t want any trouble.”
She said, “I didn’t raise my voice, and I didn’t abuse or threaten any staff. Even the hostess who treated me harshly never came to apologise — she just kept watching me from afar.
“When we landed, everybody began to disembark. I waited for others to go first. As I was stepping out, that same hostess confronted me again and started saying things like: ‘You think you can threaten people here and go free. Wait, we will show you.’
“At that moment, I felt intimidated and embarrassed in front of other passengers. I asked her, ‘Madam, what exactly did I do to you?’ Instead of answering, she raised her hand as if she wanted to touch me again. I instinctively defended myself and told her not to harass me.
“Before I knew what was happening, they had already called security and labelled me as an ‘unruly passenger.’
“I begged them to at least watch the videos on the passengers’ phones so they would know the truth — but nobody listened. I was dragged off the aircraft like a criminal, still begging them to hear me out.
“At the airport police station, one of the managers from Ibom Air arrived and presented a completely different story, claiming that I assaulted their staff and threatened the safety of the flight. I immediately denied this and asked again for them to watch the videos, but my voice was ignored.
“Instead, I was moved straight to detention and eventually taken to Kirikiri, even though I kept insisting I was innocent.
“Everything I went through started from a faulty phone power button and a hostess who chose to abuse her authority instead of simply helping a passenger.
“I have forgiven everyone involved — but I felt it was important to finally share the truth of what happened, because a lot of people still don’t know my side.
“To everyone who stood up for me when I couldn’t speak, to everyone who prayed and fought for my freedom — thank you. God bless you all.”
The post ‘My Voice Was Ignored’ – Comfort Emmanson Shares Details About Harassment On Ibom Airline Flight appeared first on Naija News.
