Comfort Emmanson has spoken publicly for the first time since her release, narrating in detail what she says transpired on board the August 10 flight that led to her arrest and viral humiliation.
In a video shared online, Emmanson expressed gratitude to those who stood by her during her ordeal.
“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 guys stood by me. God Almighty will bless you,” she said.
According to her, the incident began shortly after boarding a flight from Uyo to Lagos. A flight attendant, identified as Juliana, allegedly confronted her about turning off her phone.
Emmanson explained that while one of her phones was faulty, with a damaged power button, she eventually received help from a fellow passenger to switch it off.
“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,” she said.
She claimed that upon landing in Lagos, the same attendant stopped her from disembarking, stared at her “with a bad eye,” and ignored her pleas to leave.
Sensing hostility, Emmanson began recording. That, she alleged, provoked the attendant, who dragged her by the hairpiece (frontal wig), tore her clothes, and pulled off her necklace.
“She dragged my frontal, my gold chain, and in the process, my phone fell and broke. The pain of having my frontal yanked off was unbearable. That was when I poked her out of anger,” Emmanson recounted.
The real estate consultant broke down as she recalled being forcibly removed from the aircraft by multiple staff while passengers filmed the scene.
She said her clothes were torn, leaving her exposed, humiliated, and vulnerable to groping while being dragged out.
“They videoed me with my body out there. Some people have even turned it into stickers. I can’t even go out again because people already know me. Imagine me trying to sell a house, and clients have seen that video. How do I face them?”
Emmanson revealed she has been undergoing treatment since the incident and delayed speaking out until she was strong enough.
“I’m not a troubled 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.
She ended her video by saying she hopes to recover, return to her business, and rebuild her reputation.
Emmanson’s ordeal began on August 10 when she was removed from an Ibom Air flight after the crew accused her of refusing to switch off her phone. The airline later announced a lifetime ban on her, and she was arraigned on five charges, which led to her brief remand at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
However, on Wednesday, an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court in Ogba, Lagos, discharged her after the police formally withdrew the charges.
Comfort’s account adds a personal dimension to an incident that has drawn national attention, sparked debates about passenger rights, and tested the aviation sector’s crisis response.
With the court case now behind her, the focus shifts to how she and the industry move forward from an episode that began with a faulty phone and ended in controversy.
PUNCH
