An Ogba Magistrate Court in Lagos has ordered the remand of Comfort Emmanson, the passenger accused of assaulting Ibom Air officials, at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre until October 6.
Magistrate O.O. Salami gave the order on Monday after Emmanson was arraigned by police on a five-count charge bordering on assault and wilful damage to property.
According to court documents, Emmanson allegedly assaulted two crew members — slapping one, hitting another with her slippers — and damaged an aircraft divider curtain valued at $2,500, as well as a braided wig worth ₦110,000. She is also accused of verbally abusing staff and refusing to disembark after the Lagos-bound flight from Uyo landed.
The alleged offences contravene provisions of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Byelaw, 2005, and the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015.
Ibom Air said the dispute began before take-off when Emmanson refused to switch off her phone, as required by aviation safety regulations. The airline claimed that a fellow passenger switched off the device, provoking her outburst. Upon arrival in Lagos, she allegedly attacked the purser and was handed over to the police.
Videos of the altercation have since gone viral on social media.
