The National Secretary of the South-East for Good Governance (SEGG), Ambassador Okereke Nnamdi Nwafor, has condemned in strong terms the arrest, humiliation, and remand of Ms. Comfort Emmanson by officials of Ibom Air in collaboration with Nigerian security agencies.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday morning in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, Amb. Nwafor described the incident as “a shocking display of state-enabled cruelty” and “yet another chapter in the persistent war against the poor in our nation.”
According to his account, Ms. Emmanson’s alleged offence was failure to comply with a crew instruction to switch off her mobile phone during a flight. “In stark contrast to the soft-hand treatment accorded to politically connected individuals in similar or worse situations, Ms. Emmanson was subjected to disproportionate, degrading, and unlawful force,” Nwafor stated.
He recalled that when Senator Adams Oshiomhole once obstructed operations at Murtala Mohammed Airport, the system responded with deference, issuing an apology and arranging a special aircraft to convey him to Abuja. Likewise, when popular musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1) disrupted ValueJet operations by splashing liquid on a female pilot and blocking an aircraft from taxiing, he faced no legal consequences beyond an apology.
“In this case,” the SEGG scribe continued, “Ms. Emmanson was detained upon arrival in Lagos, forcibly removed from the aircraft ‘like cargo rather than a human being,’ stripped naked, filmed in a humiliating state, hastily arraigned, and remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Facility.”
Amb. Nwafor stressed that the incident violates Sections 34 and 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which guarantee human dignity and personal liberty. He also cited breaches of Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“Nigeria is not a banana republic where the Constitution or the rule of law is suspended for the rich and powerful, while the poor are forced to face the full weight of the law,” he said.
The SEGG National Secretary made the following demands:
1. Immediate and unconditional release of Ms. Comfort Emmanson.
2. Adequate monetary compensation from Ibom Air for the physical, emotional, and psychological harm caused.
3. A public apology published in at least two widely circulated national newspapers.
4. Thorough investigation and prosecution of all individuals and officials involved.
“This reckless abuse of power must not be allowed to stand. Justice for Ms. Comfort Emmanson is not merely about one individual — it is about affirming the rights and dignity of every poor and voiceless Nigerian,” he concluded.
