Days after the incident involving Fuji musician K1 D ultimate and Value Jet, another passenger, Ms. Comfort Emmanson, on Monday, assaulted one of the crew members of Ibom Air at the Lagos Airport.
Ibom Air Statement
Ibom air in a statement on Monday said Ms. Emmanson, who was on its flight to Lagos from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, assaulted the crew member after she was instructed in line with standard aviation safety procedures to switch off her mobile phone.
“She bluntly refused to comply until the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement, after which a fellow passenger seated beside her took the phone and switched it off. This action prompted a verbal tirade from Ms. Emmanson. The situation was eventually calmed, and the flight departed as scheduled.”
“Upon arrival in Lagos, Ms. Emmanson waited for all other passengers to disembark and then proceeded to confront the purser who had earlier instructed her.
Thewas said to have walked up to the unsuspecting purser, stepped on her, forcibly torn off her wig, removed her glasses and thrown them to the floor, and used her footwear to assault her.
“She slapped her several times, and when the other cabin crew member tried to intervene, she slapped her too. She then attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon, an act that could have damaged and grounded the aircraft.”
“By this time, the Pilot-in-Command had alerted airport security. Before security could arrive, the Purser, as seen in the viral video on the internet, prevented the passenger from leaving the aircraft until security arrived.
“The arrival of Ibom Air Security personnel did not deter the passenger as she attacked them as well, lashing out violently at both Ibom Air and FAAN security. She was then restrained and removed from the aircraft by force. Even after disembarking, she continued to assault both Ibom Air and FAAN security staff, and even slapped the ground supervisor”. The statement concluded.
NCAA Response
Reacting to the incident, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) urged air travellers to comply with routine safety procedures, such as switching off mobile devices during take-off and landing.
“Passengers need to understand they have responsibilities, not just rights,” Achimugu posted on X. “I can’t understand why simple routine issues would lead to incidents like this. More details will be addressed tomorrow.” He concluded.
What The Law States
Section 85 of the Civil Aviation Act 2022 explicitly states anyone who assaults, intimidates, threatens, or otherwise interferes with a flight crew member, such as a flight attendant or steward commits an offense.
Upon conviction, the punishment is a fine of at least ₦200,000 or imprisonment for at least 2 months, or both with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) stating that individuals engaging in such behavior may face fines ranging from ₦1,000,000 to ₦10,000,000, and jail terms between six months and one year.
Additionally, perpetrators risk being placed on no-fly registers as was the case with K1 D ultimate recently who was placed on the no-fly list for six months.
