The Ibom Air passenger, Comfort Emmanson, who went viral after a fight incident aboard the carrier, has spoken about the trauma she has been through with her upper body exposed and in circulation on social media.
The airline accused Emmanson of refusing to switch off her mobile phone during the pre-flight safety instructions on the flight from Uyo to Lagos on Sunday, August 10. It was alleged that she attacked a flight purser, leading to her arrest, arraignment, and a lifetime flight ban by the Airline Operators of Nigeria within 24hours of the incident.
The ban was later lifted on August 13, the police withdrew all charges against her, and the court officially discharged the case. This decision came after a public outcry given the fact that a similar incident within one week by a celebrity musician KWAM 1 (Wasiu Ayinde) was methodologically given the kids glove treatment by the government.
Comfort who released a personal video on Sunday, thanked everyone who stood by her and fought for her release. Her side of the story was different from what the airline released.
She said when she boarded the aircraft, a flight attendant instructed her to switch off her phones. She explained that one of her devices had a faulty power button, so she asked for assistance. The attendant told her to shut it down through the settings. Eventually, a male passenger seated beside her assisted in turning it off.
After the plane landed, she went to use the restroom. By the time she returned, most passengers had already disembarked. As she attempted to leave, the same flight attendant stopped her, insisting she could not exit. Confused, Emmanson asked for the reason and then turned her phone back on to record the encounter.
She alleged that the attendant suddenly pulled her hair, seized her belongings, and even broke her phone during the struggle. She repeatedly demanded to know why she was being stopped from disembarking. Security operatives later arrived and, forcefully escorted her out — a scene that was captured in the viral video circulating online.
She said the airline exposed the video of her uncovered body publicly. She disclosed that the video is now being widely shared on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms, causing her embarrassment.
“My body has been used to make stickers, I can’t go out anymore, and I’m traumatised. Imagine me going out for business and everybody is looking at me. My body is out there. My unborn children even my future husband. People are making mockery of me, sending me pictures of my naked body.”
Emmanson said she does not know how to move on with her life because everyone now has access to her body online.
“I don’t know how to go for interviews, I work in real estate. I don’t know how to face people now. This whole thing is very embarrassing. People have used me for posters and cards.”
According to her, people now use her mock her online and offline, despite the fact that she has never been a “social media person.”
Extrasportnigeria 
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