Comfort Emmanson Addresses Incident On Ibom Air Flight That Led To Her Arrest [Video]

Comfort Emmanson, the passenger at the center of the widely discussed Ibom Air incident, has shared her own side of the story, explaining what led to her arrest, arraignment, and eventual release by a Lagos court.

In a video shared on her Instagram page on Sunday, Emmanson thanked those who supported her during what she described as a deeply “traumatic” experience.

“I want to appreciate everyone who fought for me when I was in prison. The love and support I saw when I came out, I never expected it. For a commoner like me, you guys stood by me. God Almighty will bless you,” she said.

According to her, the incident began on August 10, 2025, when she boarded a Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos.

She said the trouble started after a flight attendant, identified as Juliana, insisted she completely switch off her phone instead of leaving it on flight mode.

Comfort Emmanson said, “I never refused to get off the phone. I showed her the phone and told her the power button was bad. She said I could still switch it off through the settings. With the help of a fellow passenger, I eventually managed to switch off both phones.”

She claimed that things escalated when the plane landed in Lagos as the same attendant stopped her from disembarking, stared at her “with a bad eye,” and ignored her pleas to leave.

“When we landed in Lagos, everybody was getting out of the aircraft. I went to pee. Coming outside, everybody had already left. I had to rush, carry my stuff and move to rush out of the aircraft.

“Going out of the aircraft, this lady, Juliana, stopped me and I asked her, ‘Why did you stop me?’ ‘Why are you stopping me from going out of the aircraft? Everybody has left. So I need to go out.’

“She didn’t say anything to me. She stared at me with a bad eye. I picked up my phone and started recording. That was when she pushed me back inside the aircraft, dragged my wig frontal, tore my clothes and broke my necklace. The pain was unbearable.

“They dragged me outside. My body was out there, and then they videoed me in the process. My body was out. I was looking for where to cover it. All of them, the surroundings like videos, cameras everywhere. I was surprised because I never expected that, like tearing my clothes and videoing everything.”

“My body outside, my naked body outside, plus the pain. No, it was so much for one person to bear. I started asking them, ‘Why would you do that to me?’ Why would you do this to me? And still like video me again and still put it out there,” she recounted.

She insisted that she did not provoke the confrontation, saying “God knows I would never poke an elderly woman old enough to be my mother. It was the pain she inflicted on me, dragging my wig and stripping me in public, that made me react.”

Footage of the scuffle soon spread online, showing her being forcefully pulled off the plane in torn clothing. The videos sparked outrage, but also subjected her to ridicule.

“They tore my clothes, exposed my body, and people were taking videos. I felt humiliated. Like, the trauma is so much on me because I cannot even go out freely anymore because my body is out there. Some people even turned it into stickers,” she lamented.

In a follow-up post on her Instagram story, Comfort Emmanson rejected claims that her ordeal was politically motivated.

She described those narratives as “false and damaging,” adding that she had suffered constant harassment since the incident.

Emmanson also acknowledged that her reaction during the altercation was fueled by pain, not disrespect.

“There have been lots of narratives being pushed about the incident, even by respected individuals, some claiming my suffering was political. These are all false. I have received constant victimisation and libel. I only wish for redemption and to regain whatever dignity I have left as a woman,” she wrote.

“I’ve flown with Ibom Air for years and never experienced this. Whatever happened after I was dragged down from the plane came from a place of pain. My swimsuit was clipped below my privates and torn.

“Imagine the pain as a woman. I would never lay hands on someone old enough to be my mother if she hadn’t assaulted me first. I apologise about my behaviour, I am not crazy, neither am I wayward. I have never been in such a situation in my life, and I don’t wish it on my enemy.”

Watch the video below:

KanyiDaily recalls that the Federal Government recently dropped its case against Comfort Emmanson, over the unruly incident on an Ibom Air flight that led to her being arrested and remanded in prison.