KWAM2 SCANDAL: Here’s why Ms. Comfort Emmanson should sue Ibom Air [Opinion] 

Since yesterday,  August 11, 2025, the internet has been abuzz about a video of an altercation between an Ibom Air passenger and the cabin crew, and like most people, I went online to see why.

One of the video angles quickly circulating online showed a female passenger named Comfort assaulting a female cabin crew member, who visibly stood between her and the exit of the plane, refusing to let her alight. 

As expected, the outrage was swift, with many bashing Comfort for putting her hands on the cabin crew. However, as more videos emerged, opinions began to split; mine included. 

A video shot from Comfort’s point of view revealed that she was the only passenger remaining on the aircraft after it landed in Lagos State, and she was being ‘held hostage on the plane.’  

A situation like this would have evoked the fight or flight response in any person, caused by sheer panic and anger. 

The most viral video showed the moment the airport staff and cabin crew forcefully ejected her from the craft, dragging her kicking and screaming. At some point, a female staff pulled her shirt, immediately ripping it into two and exposing her bare breasts.

Ibom Air stated that the passenger “slapped a crew member, engaged in a physical struggle, and resisted instructions,” prompting security intervention. 

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Following Comfort’s arrest, she was arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Lagos and remanded to Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending trial. Kirikiri? 

 The airline also announced a lifetime ban on her. Already?

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Now, let’s compare her situation — truthfully — with that of Nigerian fuji legend KWAM1 (Wasiu Ayinde), who, just last week, stood dangerously close to a private jet at Lagos Airport with its doors closed and engines running.

It was a breach of aviation protocol so glaring that any ordinary citizen would likely be facing swift legal action. Instead, KWAM1 walked away without arrest, backed by calls for forgiveness from individuals.

This isn’t about excusing bad behavior on board an aircraft. Comfort did assault the air crew and should answer for her actions, yes. 

But KWAM1 should have to as well; he should not be walking free for what some call an ‘act of terrorism.’

The disparity in KWAM1 and Comfort's treatment exposes an ugly truth: in Nigeria, punishment isn’t about justice, it’s about status. Celebrities and the well-connected are shielded; the average citizen is thrown to the wolves. 

Would they have escalated the situation this way if it was caused by Chioma Adeleke or any woman of status on a jet? Absolutely not.

What Comfort endured — unlawful public humiliation on an international stage, violation of privacy, and viral exploitation — is not just unethical, it’s actionable. 

Two wrongs do not, and should not, make a right. The cabin crew should have proper protocol for tackling uncooperative passengers that would involve less of a hassle like that. 

Where was the air marshall? Where were the handcuffs? Where was the swift and less humiliating tackle to the ground?

The airport staff allowed the scuffle to drag on for too long, thus endangering both Comfort and everyone around. 

She should have been allowed to alight from the aircraft onto the tarmac where she could have been promptly apprehended and put in handcuffs by the authorities there. 

If that was properly handled, perhaps all the assault would have been prevented from the get-go, and she would have still had her dignity while in handcuffs.

My stance? While the airline charges her, she should also employ a good lawyer and sue Ibom Air and every party involved in distributing that embarrassing video.

Even the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) stands with Comfort, stating that her rights had been violated in that encounter, namely her right to dignity and privacy and a fair hearing. They also added these potential counts against the airline: false imprisonment and a possible provocation, as well as an invasion of privacy.

According to the NBA:

If nothing else, a lawsuit could force our aviation sector to face its hypocrisy and remember that the law, without biases and perceptions, should apply equally to all. 

ALSO READ: Nigerians demand equal punishment for Ibom Air passenger and KWAM 1