Comfort Emmanson has spoken publicly for the first time since her controversial removal from an Ibom Air flight on August 10, sharing her side of the story and the ordeal that followed her arrest and public humiliation.
In a video shared online, Emmanson expressed gratitude to those who supported her during the challenging period.
She recounted that the incident began shortly after she boarded the flight from Uyo to Lagos when a flight attendant, identified as Juliana, confronted her about turning off her phone. Emmanson explained that one of her phones was faulty, with a broken power button, and that a fellow passenger helped her switch it off.
According to her, upon landing in Lagos, the attendant prevented her from disembarking and ignored her pleas, prompting her to start recording. This allegedly escalated the situation, leading to her being dragged by her hairpiece, having her clothes torn, and her necklace pulled off while other staff forcibly removed her from the aircraft as passengers filmed.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Emmanson said, “The trauma is just too much. I cannot even go out there again. My body is out there. Some people have even used it to make stickers. Imagine what my unborn kids or the man that will marry will say about my reputation. I haven’t come out to say my part of the story because I was still on treatment.”
Her ordeal began when she was removed from the Ibom Air flight following accusations that she refused to switch off her phone. The airline subsequently imposed a lifetime ban on her, and she was arraigned on five charges, leading to a brief remand at Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
However, on Wednesday, an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court discharged her after the police formally withdrew the charges.
