The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has criticized the treatment of Ms. Comfort Emmanson over an incident aboard an Ibom Air flight, calling it a violation of her right to dignity.
The NBA promised to offer Emmanson pro bono legal support to seek redress, pointing out that “respect for human dignity and the rule of law must never be compromised”.
The NBA, in a statement signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, lampooned Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, for imposing a lifetime ban on Emmanson without a fair hearing.
According to the NBA, Emmanson was “forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped of her clothing in public, and humiliated” with the incident filmed and shared online.
The body said that the conduct was degrading, unlawful, and “a grave affront to the rule of law and human dignity”.
The NBA also referred to video footage allegedly showing an Ibom Air hostess preventing Emmanson from leaving the aircraft, which it said could amount to false imprisonment and may have escalated the situation.
On the ban, the NBA said that only the statutory aviation regulator has the authority to suspend or restrict a passenger’s right to fly, not private associations or individual operators.
The NBA also condemned the circulation of unedited footage exposing Emmanson’s nudity, describing it as a criminal invasion of privacy. It urged that those responsible for recording and distributing the video be identified and prosecuted.
