Comfort Emmanson, the female passenger, right, assaulting Ibom Air crew members
Ibom Air Denies Leaking Viral Video of Passenger, Blames Third Parties
Ibom Air has refuted claims that its staff leaked a controversial video showing a passenger in a state of indecent exposure during a recent onboard altercation.
Aniekan Essienette, the airline’s Group Manager for Marketing and Communications, stated that while the incident occurred on their aircraft, the footage was not released by any Ibom Air employee.
The clarification follows Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo’s directive to sanction any airline staff found responsible for circulating the video.
While acknowledging that recording such incidents for legal purposes is standard practice, Keyamo condemned the public dissemination of footage exposing a passenger’s indecency as “completely unacceptable.”
Essienette emphasized that multiple non-staff individuals were present during the altercation, making it impossible to pinpoint the source of the leak.
“The video was taken onboard, but many bystanders near the aircraft weren’t our employees. We categorically did not release it—we find such exposure deeply regrettable and against our values,” she said.
The manager explained that the passenger was restrained and escorted off the flight after refusing to comply with crew instructions.
“For safety reasons, security intervened as she resisted disembarkation. The unfortunate physical struggle that followed was never our intention,” Essienette added.
Addressing increasing cases of passenger misconduct, she stressed that airlines have no incentive to humiliate travelers and urged authorities to prioritize preventive measures over punitive actions.
“Our focus remains on safe, dignified travel—not public shaming,” she stated, calling for systemic reforms to curb such incidents.
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