By Angelina Bond– Legal Analyst | August 2025
Introduction
Highlighting two incidents at Nigerian airports—one involving a female passenger Ms. Comfort Emmanson allegedly assaulted and stripped aboard Ibom Air, and another involving Fuji icon Kwam 1 reportedly slapping an airport staff and pouring the contents of his bottle have exposed a painful but grim truth: Justice in Nigeria is Discriminatory.
Though both incidents occurred in the same regulated airspace, the response from authorities, the public, and regulators was glaringly unequal.
This article provides a comparative legal analysis of both incidents, examines the pitfalls in legal enforcement, and highlights how institutionalized bias and selective accountability erode public confidence in the justice system.
Incident One: Ms. Comfort Emmanson Ibom Air Passenger Assault
A woman boarded an Ibom Air flight in Nigeria. During a pre-takeoff or landing announcement, she was instructed to turn off her phone. From eye witness account, unfamiliar with how to shut it off completely (iPhone users know that iPhones have a tricky way of complete shutdown), she informed the flight attendant it was in airplane mode and proceeded to hand it over for assistance. The eye witnesses confirmed though their social media handles that the attendant allegedly responded with verbal abuse and threw her phone to the ground, damaging it.
Upon landing, when she tried to disembark, she was prevented from exiting, and security was called in. What followed was a violent episode where she was:
Physically manhandled and dragged,
Her clothing was ripped, leaving her exposed,
Publicly humiliated, with videos of her nudity shared online,
Imputation of unchastity by an acclaimed eye witness one Olubunmi Balogun Shonubi alluding to the fact that she appears to be “a runs
girl whose hustle was paying her small small”, among several other uncharitable publications making rounds on social media including
pictures and videos of her nudity being used as meme’s.
Denied the opportunity to cover herself or wear her shoes, despite not resisting arrest.
Subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment
Allegedly slammed with a lifetime no-flight-ban!
And several other uncharitable actions
This was not only a disproportionate use of force, it was a blatant violation of her rights. Incident Two: Kwam 1 and the Slap Heard in Silence
By contrast, the Fuji musician Kwam 1 (Wasiu Ayinde Marshal) was involved in a physical altercation with an airport official at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. According to reports:
He allegedly slapped a staff member during a disagreement at the screening point.
Witnesses and surveillance confirmed the event.
However, no arrest was made, no force was used, and the matter was quickly swept under the rug.
Authorities issued a brief statement condemning the act—but failed to initiate any prosecution or public accountability.
Legal Comparison: Same Space, Different Justice
Legal Aspect
Nature of Incident
Response by Authorities
Constitutional Rights Invoked
Investigative Follow-Up
Public Accountability
Ms. Comfort Emmanson
Victim of alleged assault, humiliation, and abuse Physical force, restraint, public exposure
34(1): Dignity of the human person, §37: Privacy
None (as of the time of this article)
Victim blamed and shamed
Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (Kwam 1) Alleged perpetrator of assault
No arrest, no restraint, minimal consequences
N/A (alleged violator)
None (as of the time of this article)
Celebrity protected and shielded
Legal Violation(s)
False imprisonment, Assault, battery, destruction of property, cybercrime, VAPP Act, aviation regulations
Assault under Criminal Code, disorderly conduct
Critical Legal Pitfalls
- Unequal Application of the Law (Violation of sec.17 (2) (a), of the 1999 Constitution as amended)
The Constitution provides that “every citizen shall have equality before the law.” Yet:
A female civilian was stripped and manhandled, then shamed online,
A male celebrity committed an alleged assault in public and walked away untouched.
The justice system has displayed institutional bias, shaped by gender, fame, and power, not by facts or law.
- Abuse of Authority and Disproportionate Use of Force
In the Ibom Air case, the use of physical restraint and forced stripping against an initial non-violent passenger who was prepared to voluntarily disembark from the flight(as shown in a video) but was restricted by the air hostess was grossly disproportionate and violated:
Section 34(1) of the Constitution – protection from inhuman or degrading treatment,
Section 365 of the criminal code act criminalizes deprivation of personal liberty by way of false imprisonment
Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015, which prohibits all forms of emotional, physical, or sexual violence,
Civil Aviation Regulations, which mandate humane treatment of passengers.
Contrast this with Kwam 1’s case, where no force was applied to restrain a man who allegedly attacked a government employee—a criminal act. 3. Regulatory Failure and NCAA’s Silence
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and FAAN have a statutory duty to:
Protect both passengers and aviation staff,
Enforce safety and conduct standards equally,
Sanction misconduct.
Yet, no formal investigation, no suspension, or remedial action has been initiated in either case—proving that regulatory inertia is part of the problem.
- Gender-Based Violence and Cybercrime Ignored
The Ibom Air incident also brings to light two additional legal violations:
Cybercrimes Act (2015): The recording and online sharing of a nude or semi-nude video without consent is illegal. Section 24 prohibits offensive or indecent content.
VAPP Act (2015): Public stripping or humiliation qualifies as gender-based violence and psychological abuse, with penalties including fines and imprisonment.
- Trial by media
It’s important to consider the reliability and accuracy of public opinion data, as it can be influenced by media narratives and sensationalism which ultimately has the potential for punitive biases:
There’s a risk that public opinion can be unduly influenced by punitive sentiments, potentially leading to unjust outcomes.
a more nuanced understanding of the complexities involved will expose the systemic manner the authorities have used the Ibom air incident as soft landing for the Kwam 1 to avoid critical public scrutiny of the double standards and subsequently exonerating themselves of equal culpability.
Yet, despite clear evidence (including video footage), there has been no prosecution or arrest of those who assaulted or exposed the woman online.
What Do These Cases Reveal?
A Two-Tier Justice System
Ordinary citizens, especially women, are easily targeted, restrained, and blamed. Celebrities and elites, even when violent, are protected by silence and inaction. Weaponization of Security Forces
Instead of de-escalating, airport security became aggressors, violating the very rights they are paid to protect. This signals a toxic culture of impunity within aviation law enforcement.
Erosion of Civil Trust
These cases show how public trust in law, institutions, and human dignity is crumbling, particularly:
When victims are re-traumatized by those who should protect them, When the powerful go unpunished.
Legal Remedies Available
For Ms. Comfort Emmanson (the Ibom Air Victim)
Fundamental Rights Enforcement under the Constitution (Chapter IV),
Civil lawsuit for assault, battery, and defamation,
Petition to NCAA, FAAN, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Criminal complaint against Ibom Air staff and security officials.
For Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (Kwam 1)’s Incident
The assaulted official may bring a criminal complaint or civil action for battery,
NCAA and FAAN must face public pressure to enforce internal discipline and protect their staff.
Conclusion: Time for Legal Reckoning
Justice must be blind to status, immune to celebrity, and anchored in fairness. What we’ve witnessed in these two cases is the exact opposite.
The Ms. Comfort Emmanson was humiliated, physically violated, and criminally exposed to the world. Whereas the celebrity Kwam 1 accused of slapping an official, attempting to restrict an aircraft from taking off, and endangerment of his person and other(s) faced no public reprimand, no handcuffs, and no shame.
This is not justice. This is institutional complicity.
Until Nigerian law enforcement and regulators treat every violation equally, the legal system will continue to operate as a tool of the powerful and a weapon against the powerless.
Call to Action
NCAA and FAAN must investigate and publish findings on both incidents. Prosecutions and sanctions must follow, without fear or favor.
Training for airline staff and security must include human rights compliance. The public must demand reform, accountability, and transparency.
Justice must not be a privilege for the powerful—it must be a right for all
Let justice fly as freely as our planes do or we risk losing faith in both
Injustice at 30,000 feet is still injustice and should not be allowed to fly.
… I rest my case
Gamayun Heights Consulting 