A Nigerian businesswoman, Lolo Nneka Obani, has called on Ibom Air to take further action to address the treatment of Comfort Emmanson, the passenger recently involved in a viral in-flight incident.
The Federal Government recently withdrew its criminal complaint against Comfort, lifted the no-fly ban placed on her, and facilitated her release from the Kirikiri Correctional Centre. While many see this as a victory, Lolo Nneka believes it is only a first step toward justice.
In a Facebook post, Nneka said Comfort suffered humiliation, abuse, and negligence at the hands of Ibom Air staff. She alleged that during the incident, an air hostess deliberately pulled up Comfort’s top, exposing her chest. This moment was captured in a viral video that, according to Nneka, has since been used by perverts and caused Comfort public embarrassment.
The perfume vendor also accused the airline of showing only edited footage of Comfort’s reaction, without revealing the events that led to it. She claimed the aim was to portray her as a mentally unstable and aggressive passenger, while hiding the provocation and mistreatment she faced.
To repair the damage, Nneka made two clear demands to Ibom Air. First, she called for the identification and prosecution of the crew members involved in harassing Comfort. Second, she urged the airline to pay Comfort substantial financial compensation for the harm done to her dignity, privacy, and future.
Nneka also criticized what she described as Ibom Air’s unprofessional hiring practices, claiming that favoritism and nepotism, rather than competence, led to the unprofessional conduct of its staff. She warned that unless the airline addresses these issues, similar incidents could happen again.
