Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has condemned the release of indecent video footage of Comfort Emmanson, the passenger involved in an altercation on an Ibom Air flight.
In a statement on Tuesday, Keyamo described the leak as “totally unacceptable” and directed that the staff member responsible be identified and sanctioned.
He stressed that while filming unruly behaviour for use as legal evidence was permissible, releasing footage containing indecent exposure to ridicule the passenger was deplorable.
Emmanson has been banned indefinitely from flying on local and international flights by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
She was arraigned at the Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for criminal offences and remanded in Kirikiri Prison after failing to meet bail conditions.
Keyamo acknowledged that the scuffle between the passenger and ground personnel was due to her uncooperative attitude but urged airlines to train and retrain staff in public relations and conflict de-escalation.
The minister also ordered a joint security meeting between relevant agencies next week to improve coordination in handling similar incidents.
“For genuinely aggrieved passengers, there are clearly laid-down remedies through the NCAA’s Consumer Protection Directorate. There is no point taking the law into one’s hands, which may lead to dire consequences,” he said.
