Justice To KWAM I Or Injustice To Emmanson?

By Ikeddy ISIGUZO

Not even someone sentenced to death undergoes the crudities and indignities that Ms. Comfort Emmanson, a passenger, endured during her evacuation from Ibom Air on Sunday. Even when a death sentence is handed down, the judge clearly states how the convict will be executed.

A convict has rights. Ms. Emmanson’s rights were so wantonly abused that she was essentially stripped bare for public entertainment. A segment of this audience has stridently criticised her attire, as if she left Uyo in that state of undress.

Her state of undress was evidence of the treatment she received at the hands of the aircraft crew and purported security officials. Their crudeness was their most defining trait.

What rights did the manhandled Ms. Emmanson have in the face of the allegations made against her?

The allegations against Ms. Emmanson:

a. She refused to comply with a crew member’s directive to switch off her phone. b. She engaged the crew and airport security personnel in heated exchanges that allegedly escalated to slaps, kicks, and a vast compromise of her dignity.

Excessive force was used to remove her from the aircraft. At least five people pushed her around, and more joined in dragging her down the stairs.

The crudeness was undeniable. Her opponents seemed to wear it as a badge of honour, its value amplified by demonstrating their capacity for further brutality if she persisted.

She was tossed down the stairs like a sack of trash that needed to be removed quickly for the sake of society. Some watched with askance, as if her presence posed an imminent threat to their humanity.

Sunday, August 10, 2025, should be marked as a day when professionalism, whatever that means at Nigeria’s prime airport, was absent. Is this how Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos typically operates?

A horde of security personnel raced up the airstair, like an army of conquest, to subdue an unruly passenger, yet none carried equipment to manage the situation effectively.

Since a woman was at the centre of the commotion, at least one female security officer should have been involved in removing Ms. Emmanson from the aircraft. This would have avoided the male hands that couldn’t seem to find purchase without violating her.

There were no handcuffs to restrain her. A tranquilliser could have served the same purpose. Were they locked away, with the authorisation for their use absent?

Perhaps, being a Sunday, operations were lax. The necessary problem-solving skills were lacking. An assessment of the resources available at our airports for “such emergencies” is urgently needed.

Ibom Air, in its handling of Ms. Emmanson, acted as if it were a business in a hurry to shut down. The six-year-old airline, admired by passengers for its timely operations, not only humiliated its passenger without a court decision but also imposed a lifetime ban on her from flying. Other airlines, some with records that should keep them grounded indefinitely, joined in issuing the lifetime ban against Ms. Emmanson.

What kind of groupthink would lead an airline to believe that mistreating a passenger, so blatantly and seemingly to “teach” them a lesson, would not negatively impact its business?

How far was Ibom Air willing to go? Did they want the passenger dead? Did anyone involved in that crude operation consider the passenger’s safety? Was the treatment of Ms. Emmanson the standard procedure for deboarding an unruly passenger in the airline’s operations manual?

There was a palpable effort to ensure Ms. Emmanson was left with permanent disabilities, if not life-threatening injuries. Millions who have watched the video clips easily reach that conclusion.

The intervention of the Nigeria Bar Association and the interjection of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, led to her release from a two-day detention, which included a day in Kirikiri Prison, on the orders of a magistrate’s court.

Ms. Emmanson posted after her release, “Thank you so much for all the prayers, love, and support. I’ve been released from prison, but I’m still in pain due to how I was treated. I just need some rest and medical treatment before I give out my own version of the event. Thank you so much, my Lovely friends and supporters. I really appreciate y’all from the bottom of my heart. God bless y’all. THANK YOU, MY GREAT GOD!!!”

Troubling aspects of managing the incident that intersect safety and lawlessness at our airports include the way individuals wielding assumed powers become prosecutors and judges in their own cases, denying the other party a chance to be heard, which marked Ms. Emmanson’s ordeal.

Ibom Air, in its engagement with Ms. Emmanson, acted as if it were a business in a hurry to shut down. The six-year-old Ibom Air, which passengers admire for its record with timely operations, in addition to humiliating its passenger, without waiting for a court decision, has slammed a lifetime ban on her from flying. Other airlines, some with records that should keep them grounded for eternity, joined in issuing the life ban on Ms. Emmanson.

What kind of groupthink would lead an airline to believe that mistreating a passenger, so blatantly and seemingly to “teach” them a lesson, would not negatively impact its business?

How far was Ibom Air willing to go? Did they want the passenger dead? Did anyone involved in that crude operation consider the passenger’s safety? Was the treatment of Ms. Emmanson the standard procedure for deboarding an unruly passenger in the airline’s operations manual?

There was a palpable effort to ensure Ms. Emmanson was left with permanent disabilities, if not life-threatening injuries. Millions who have watched the video clips easily reach that conclusion.

When did dragging a human being down an iron airstair become part of enforcing the law? And for what offence? She could have suffered a head or brain injury; it’s a wonder her spinal cord is intact. Nobody seemed to care.

Keyamo’s decision in the case involving Fuji megastar King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, KWAM I, De Ultimate, played a significant role in restoring balance to the scales of justice in this instance. KWAM I had obstructed the departure of a ValueJet flight when he was stopped from boarding for possessing a flask containing an unknown substance.

The pilot’s license was suspended for commencing departure without ground clearance. KWAM I could have been injured.

He was allowed to leave the airport. Keyamo said KWAM I should also be sanctioned. A six-month “no-fly” ban was ultimately placed on the musician.

The public deemed it inadequate. His influence and known association with the President were seen as reasons for the light punishment he received.

When injustice began to rain down on the relatively unknown Ms. Emmanson, the KWAM I case, just five days old, quickly became an example of the degree of unfairness. She had to be set free.

The fundamental point remains that the punishment for not switching off a phone on an aircraft does not include humiliating the passenger as Ibom Air did. The public would benefit from these incidents if they lead to improvements in customer care.

Finally…

SUPER Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade has informed Nigerians that the team has not received any of the promises the President made to them upon winning their 10th WAFCON title. D’Tigress is also waiting.

WHERE is the President? Dubai? Brazil? Japan? He could be anywhere, depending on when you read this. Since he does not listen to our complaints, what should we do? We have 2027 to decide.

SENATE President, His Excellency, Obong Dr. Godswill Akpabio is sound and safe, as members of his “medical team,” Senator Gbenga Daniel and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, both former Governors, like Akpabio, have testified. If you doubt them, provide proof.

*Isiguzo is a major commentator on minor issues.