Real estate consultant, Comfort Emmanson, has spoken publicly for the first time since her release, recounting her ordeal on the August 10 Ibom Air flight that led to her arrest, public humiliation, and a lifetime flight ban.
In an emotional video message, Emmanson thanked Nigerians who stood by her during her detention.
“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 stood by me. God Almighty will bless you,” she said.
According to her, trouble began shortly after boarding the Uyo–Lagos flight when a crew member identified as Juliana confronted her over her phone. She explained that one of her phones had a faulty power button, making it difficult to switch off, until a fellow passenger helped her.
“I never refused to get off the phone. I only told her that my power button was bad and I needed assistance, which she refused. The passenger sitting next to me helped me, and I eventually turned both phones off,” Emmanson explained.
She alleged that on arrival in Lagos, the same flight attendant blocked her from leaving the aircraft and later dragged her by the wig, tore her clothes, and pulled off her gold necklace.
“She dragged my frontal, my chain, and in the process my phone broke. The pain of having my frontal yanked off was unbearable. That was when I poked her out of anger,” she recalled tearfully.
Emmanson said she was violently pulled off the aircraft while other passengers filmed the scene, leaving her half-dressed and exposed.
“They videoed me with my body out there. Some people even turned it into stickers. I can’t go out again because people already know me. Imagine me trying to sell a house and clients have seen that video,” she lamented.
The consultant disclosed she has been undergoing treatment since the incident and delayed speaking publicly until she was strong enough.
“I’m not a troublesome person, I’m not a nuisance. People who know me in real life know the kind of person I am. I just never expected that offering to switch off my phone would escalate like this,” she said, adding that she hopes to heal, return to business, and rebuild her reputation.
Her case, which drew nationwide attention, ended last Wednesday when an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court discharged her following the withdrawal of charges by the police.
The saga, which began with a faulty phone, has now sparked wider debates about passenger rights, airline conduct, and crisis handling in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
