Former Big Brother Naija star, Tacha, has called for leniency in the case of Comfort Emmanson, the female passenger banned for life by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) over an altercation on an Ibom Air flight.
In a video shared online, Tacha appealed directly to Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, asking him to “tamper mercy with justice” in Comfort’s case.
Tacha believes that the lifetime ban is too extreme, especially considering a similar case where another passenger received a six-month ban.
She also questioned whether the air hostess’s behavior may have triggered the situation, suggesting that female air hostesses in Nigeria sometimes treat women differently when there are male passengers involved.
In her words; “Female air hostesses are one of the most unfortunate humans in Nigeria because tell me why I will be on business class with a male customer and then you see the air hostess acting all nice and sweet to the male customer and then when it gets to my turn she’s having pepper body as if we had an altercation a night before and I don’t even understand and this is why I’m convinced that if you check very well that air hostess triggered Comfort, and we did not see that part of the story”
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Comfort Emmanson was banned for life after an altercation on an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos over to switch off her phone during takeoff. A video of the incident showed her being restrained by security personnel, and she was subsequently arraigned and remanded in custody. The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) imposed the ban, citing the need to protect crew and passengers.
The lifetime ban has sparked controversy, with some arguing that it is disproportionate to the offense. Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Monday Ubani, has faulted the ban, describing it as unconstitutional and lacking due process.
Ubani argues that only the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has the power to regulate civil aviation and coordinate sanctions, and that an industry-wide lifetime ban by a trade association amounts to a de facto travel ban with national and international consequences.
