Human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner Omoyele Sowore has strongly criticized the handling of the case involving Comfort Emmanson, the Ibom Air passenger accused of slapping a flight attendant, describing it as “a travesty of justice” and an example of Nigeria’s entrenched culture of abuse and selective justice.
In a statement, Sowore said three major wrongs were committed against Emmanson in the aftermath of the August incident.
Sowore faulted what he called the “high-handed” conduct of many Nigerian flight attendants, alleging that passengers are often treated as if they are “people to be ordered around at will.”
“It baffles me that in 2025, some attendants still believe their most important duty is to harass adults about switching off their phones, often shaming or humiliating passengers in the process,” he said.
He contrasted this with his experiences in the United States, where in-flight internet is encouraged and passengers routinely make calls or livestream takeoffs without interference.
Sowore described the treatment of Emmanson as “public sexual humiliation” that could cause lasting trauma.
“She was stripped of her dignity in a way that will likely leave permanent scars from an incident that could have been resolved without such violence or degrading treatment,” he stated.
The activist said Emmanson was “ambushed and sent to prison without trial”, calling it a blatant miscarriage of justice.
“This is selective justice, especially when compared to how other, more powerful individuals accused of more serious infractions have been treated with kid gloves,” Sowore asserted.
Sowore concluded that the Emmanson case reflects a wider pattern of abuse, humiliation, impunity, and discriminatory justice in Nigeria, spanning from customer service to law enforcement and the courts.
“This is about a systemic culture of abuse that continues to thrive. Until we fix it, incidents like this will keep happening,” he warned.
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