The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the treatment of Ms. Comfort Emmanson during an incident aboard an Ibom Air flight on August 10, 2025, and the lifetime flight ban imposed on her by the airline and the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).

In a statement signed by President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, and General Secretary Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara, the NBA described the actions as “heavy-handed, unlawful, and a grave affront to the rule of law and human dignity.”

The association alleged that Ms. Emmanson was forcibly removed from the aircraft, stripped in public, and humiliated in a manner filmed and circulated online—conduct it said violated her dignity, privacy, and human rights. It also cited video footage suggesting an Ibom Air hostess may have prevented her from disembarking, potentially amounting to false imprisonment.

Faulting the lifetime ban as one-sided and imposed without a fair hearing, the NBA insisted that only statutory regulators can restrict a passenger’s right to fly. It also condemned the unedited online circulation of indecent images of Ms. Emmanson as a criminal invasion of privacy and demanded prosecution of those responsible.

The NBA called for the immediate withdrawal of the ban, a public apology, and an independent investigation by relevant authorities. It also pledged pro bono legal support for Ms. Emmanson to secure justice.