Ibom Air Incident: Why Passenger Rights and Dignity Must Come First

Using someone's mistake as an excuse for brutality is never right. No matter how someone behaves, manhandling a woman is unacceptable, even on an Ibom Air flight. Public humiliation should not be justified by weak excuses.

Recently, an Ibom Air passenger—later identified as Comfort Emmanson—was involved in an onboard dispute. Rights groups, including FIDA, condemned the response. Former FIDA Nigeria president Ngozi Ogbolu criticized both the passenger’s behavior and the airline’s handling. She emphasized that even if the woman erred, male officers stepping in—grabbing phones, blocking exits, hauling her by the arm—crossed the line. Female security should have managed the arrest, FIDA insisted, invoking both compassion and due process.

This incident highlights how public spaces, especially transportation, often deal with conflict in the wrong way. Fear and outdated attitudes can lead to violence instead of calm solutions. Aggressive actions only make things worse, especially for women who already face bias. This is more than just a mistake in procedure; it shows the system is not prepared to handle conflicts with care for gender issues.

When enforcement is used as an excuse to attack a woman's dignity, it reflects a culture that tolerates cruelty. Responding to mistakes with violence does not solve anything. If breaking the rules leads to physical force, we lose respect for human rights and create more fear.

Airlines and authorities should make gender-sensitive security training a requirement. Female staff should handle disputes with female passengers. Staff need clear steps to calm situations and should use conversation and restraint instead of force. Strong oversight and independent reviews matter, along with raising awareness among travelers and staff.

In the skies, as on the streets, control should never become cruelty. Protecting order shouldn’t mean sacrificing empathy.

You can help by reaching out to aviation authorities and airlines, asking them to require gender-sensitive training and set up independent reviews for incidents.