The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched an investigation into the controversial incident involving Ibom Air crew members and passenger Comfort Emmanson, who was reportedly assaulted and stripped at Lagos airport after a dispute with an air hostess.
NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday via his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
“Yesterday in Abuja, the NCAA team met with Julie Edwards and other members of the crew involved in the Comfort Emanson incident as part of investigations into that event,” Achimugu said.
He explained that the Authority’s directorates of Aviation Security; Operations, Licensing and Training Standards; Legal; and Consumer Protection “are collaborating to ensure a proper conclusion to this investigation.”
According to him, “Later today (Thursday), Comfort Emanson, the passenger, would be meeting with the Authority. She is being accompanied by her lawyer.”
In an update, Achimugu added, “NCAA has held a meeting with Comfort Emanson, the Ibom Air passenger.”
The airline alleged that she had flouted the directives of the air hostess to switch off her mobile phone, thereby breaching safety protocols, a charge Emmanson and her lawyers denied, insisting she was humiliated and assaulted for standing her ground.
The viral video of the incident sparked outrage online, with civil society groups, women’s rights advocates, and legal practitioners calling for an independent probe into Ibom Air’s handling of the matter.
