The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) for their handling of an incident involving a passenger, Comfort Emmanson, on an Ibom Air flight on August 10, 2025.

In a statement signed by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, and general secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the NBA described the airline’s actions—including a lifetime flight ban on Ms Emmanson—as “reckless,” “unlawful,” and a violation of her right to dignity. The statement detailed how Ms Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, publicly stripped of her clothing, and humiliated in an incident that was recorded and widely circulated online.

The NBA labelled the treatment as “degrading” and a breach of her privacy and dignity, arguing that it fell short of expected standards in the aviation industry.

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“The Nigerian Bar Association strongly condemns the treatment of Ms. Comfort Emmanson…These actions are heavy-handed, unlawful, and a grave affront to the rule of law and human dignity,” the statement read. “No person, regardless of the circumstances, should be treated in such a dehumanising manner.”

The association also criticised the lifetime ban as a violation of fair hearing principles, highlighting that Ms Emmanson was not given the opportunity to respond to the allegations against her. The NBA argued that the power to suspend or restrict a passenger’s right to fly rests with the appropriate statutory regulator, not with private associations or airline operators acting unilaterally.

The association further demanded that those responsible for capturing and distributing the unedited footage of Ms Emmanson be identified and prosecuted, describing the act as an “egregious invasion of privacy and a criminal act.” It noted that even if the incident had to be reported, the footage should have been blurred to protect her privacy and dignity.