“She smashed Comfort’s phone on the floor and called her a prostitute"- Man who claims to be on the Ibom air flight accuses the air hostess to starting the fight

On August 10, 2025, a heated confrontation aboard an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos spiraled into one of the most talked-about incidents in Nigeria’s recent aviation history.

Passenger Comfort Emmanson, now at the center of a national debate, was accused of assaulting both cabin crew members and security officers during the flight and upon landing.

The altercation led to her immediate arrest, her remand at Kirikiri Correctional Centre, and a slew of five assault-related charges.

Ibom Air wasted no time in issuing a lifetime ban against her, forwarding a formal report to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to back their stance.

But as the official narrative gained traction, an alternative account began to challenge the certainty of the story.

In a video now making rounds on social media, a man claiming to have been an eyewitness on the flight accused the air hostess of being the aggressor.

According to him, the confrontation began when the hostess allegedly smashed Comfort’s phone and hurled an insult, calling her a prostitute.

This sharply contrasted Ibom Air’s version of events, igniting questions over whose story holds the truth and whether the incident was the result of a single outburst or a chain of provocations from both sides.

The public reaction has been fierce and polarized. Some argue that no matter the provocation, physically confronting airline staff is indefensible, especially in a country where respect for authority is deeply ingrained.

Others see this as yet another example of how power dynamics in Nigeria—ranked high on Hofstede’s power distance index—can embolden authority figures to act without fear of challenge.

In such a cultural climate, the expectation that passengers must defer to crew instructions without question can turn moments of disagreement into combustible conflicts.

Now, with Emmanson facing the full weight of the law and the court of public opinion split down the middle, the case has evolved into more than just a passenger-crew dispute.

It’s a flashpoint in the ongoing conversation about accountability, fairness, and the complex intersection between authority and individual rights in Nigeria.

As high-profile figures like reality TV star Tacha publicly plead for leniency, urging authorities to “tamper justice with mercy,” the story shows no signs of fading from the headlines—nor from the broader questions it has ignited about how power is exercised and contested in the skies above Nigeria.

Watch the video below