Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has criticised the public release of indecent footage showing Comfort Emmanson, the passenger recently involved in an unruly behaviour incident aboard an Ibom Air flight.
In a statement on Monday, Keyamo described the leak as “totally unacceptable” and directed that the staff member responsible be identified and sanctioned.
While acknowledging the need to record Emmanson’s conduct as evidence for prosecution, the minister said exposing her in a way that ridiculed her was a breach of decency and a “debasement of womanhood.”
“Apart from the indefinite flight ban imposed on the said unruly passenger (both local and international) by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the police has promptly arraigned her this morning at the Ikeja Magistrates Court for criminal offences and remanded her at Kirikiri prison as she could not provide adequate sureties in court. I have attached the Charge Sheet and Remand Order for clarity.
“We also note the scuffle that took place between the unruly passenger and ground personnel before she was eventually subdued. This was because of her uncooperative attitude. Whilst we support the filming of her recalcitrant behaviour as evidence to prosecute her, what is deplorable is to release such evidence containing indecent exposure to the public to ridicule her. That is totally unacceptable to us. We will not fold our arms and tolerate the debasing of womanhood. I have therefore directed that whoever released that part of the video containing the indecent exposure amongst the staff should be singled out and adequately sanctioned.
“I have also directed that the airlines must continue to train and retrain their staff in public relations and how to deal with potentially explosive situations in order to diffuse them promptly or nip them in the bud, except when it becomes inevitable. I have also directed a joint security meeting between relevant agencies next week for better coordination of security measures in situations like this or similar ones we witnessed recently.
“For genuinely aggrieved passengers, there are clearly laid-down remedies to address grievances. The Consumer Protection Directorate of the NCAA has consistently advertised these remedies and there is no point trying to take the laws into one’s hands that may lead to dire consequences.”
