By Ameh Gabriel
Legal practitioner and human rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, has outlined how Comfort Emmanson the passenger at the centre of a high-profile altercation on an Ibom Air flight could strengthen her legal defence.
Emmanson, who was placed on the Airline Operators of Nigeria’s (AON) “no-fly” list following the incident, is facing multiple charges, including assault, disorderly conduct, and wilful destruction of property. She was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court by the Lagos Airport Police Command on Monday.
The charges stem from allegations that she assaulted two crew members Juliana Edward, whom she allegedly stepped on and slapped, and Jokpame Sajun, whom she reportedly struck with slippers. She is also accused of tearing the curtain separating Business and Economy Class and seizing a fire extinguisher in a threatening manner. Additionally, she allegedly damaged airline property worth $2,500 and a braided wig valued at ₦110,000.
In a Facebook post, Adeyanju urged Emmanson’s legal team to gather testimonies from fellow passengers who witnessed the incident, stressing that such evidence could provide alternative accounts to challenge the prosecution’s claims.
“This is how to help her,” Adeyanju wrote. “Get witnesses who were on the plane to counter the allegations not just saying, ‘I was there and this is not the whole story.’”
Court documents state that Emmanson allegedly acted in violation of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Bye Law, 2005, and several provisions of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015.
She pleaded not guilty to all five counts, and Magistrate O. O. Salami ordered her remand at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre until the next hearing, scheduled for October 6
