Comfort Emmanson, the Ibom Air passenger recently freed from detention, has shared graphic details of the confrontation on board that led to her arrest and viral humiliation.
In a video released online, Emmanson expressed deep gratitude to those who supported her through the 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.
She recounted that the dispute began shortly after boarding a flight from Uyo to Lagos, when a flight attendant, identified as Juliana, allegedly challenged her about switching off her phone.
Emmanson explained that one of her devices had a faulty power button, but a fellow passenger eventually helped her power it down.
“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 alleged that upon arrival in Lagos, the same hostess prevented her from leaving the aircraft, glared at her “with a bad eye,” and ignored her requests to disembark.
Sensing animosity, Emmanson began recording. She claimed this provoked the attendant, who allegedly dragged her by the 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 while describing how she was forcibly removed from the aircraft by several staff as passengers filmed.
She said her outfit was ripped, 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?” she said.
Emmanson disclosed she has been receiving medical care since the incident and delayed speaking publicly until she regained strength.
“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 expressing hope to heal, return to her career, and rebuild her image.
Her ordeal started on August 10 when she was removed from an Ibom Air flight after being accused of refusing to switch off her phone.
The airline later issued her a lifetime ban, and she was arraigned on five counts, which led to her brief remand in Kirikiri Correctional Centre.
On Wednesday, however, an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court in Ogba, Lagos, dismissed the case after police formally withdrew the charges.
Comfort’s account now adds a personal layer to an incident that drew national attention, ignited debate over passenger rights, and put the aviation sector’s crisis response under scrutiny.
With the court case concluded, attention turns to how she and the airline move forward from an episode that began with a faulty phone and spiraled into controversy.
