Ibom Air saga: Majekodunmi-Oniru denounces maltreatment, imprisonment of Comfort Emmanson

Princess Olatorera Majekodunmi-Oniru, a transformational leader and activist has condemned in strong terms what she considers the “horrific” and “inhumane” maltreatment of Miss Comfort Emmanson by staff of Ibom Airlines on Sunday, August 10, 2025 and the subsequent incarceration of the young lady at Kirikiri Prison.

Princess Majekodunmi-Oniru, who said she has written a private letter to Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo (SAN) on the issue, described the judicial process leading to Miss Emmanson’s remand in prison as “deeply troubling and utterly unacceptable,” and called for immediate intervention to secure her release.

She said, “Comfort deserved far better. We must resist all forms of maltreatment, often fueled by power abuse, similar to the ordeals faced by millions across Gaza, North Korea, Ukraine, the DRC, and beyond,” and called for urgent global reform of consumer service conditions, the criminal justice system, and human rights

A senatorial aspirant in the run-up to the 2023 general election, Princess Oniru, the President of The Office of Princess Olatorera Majekodunmi-Oniru, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO), noted that viral public accounts, have it that the incident began when Comfort Emmanson allegedly refused to switch off her phone, maintaining instead that it was in flight mode.

This perceived act of disobedience, she argued, should never have escalated into her “traumatizing prevention from disembarking, sexual assault, harassment by at least five airline or airport personnel, arrest, eventual imprisonment in Kirikiri Prison and a lifetime ban from domestic and international travel.”

Princess Oniru stressed further that “After such an evidently horrific and inhumane ordeal, Comfort should be kindly granted her freedom without delay to restore her peace of mind, and the case should be lawfully reviewed to ensure due compensation for the violations of her human rights.”

She concluded with the assurance that “We will continue to work with both national and international authorities to ensure justice is served for Comfort Emmanson and to set a lasting precedent against the mistreatment of airline passengers worldwide.”