Emmanson: ‘Why Didn’t They Drag King Wasiu, Oshiomhole Like That?’ – Aisha Yesufu Faults Ibom Air Over Unruly Passenger’s Treatment

Human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu has condemned how the unruly Ibom Air passenger, Comfort Emmanson, was treated by the airline officials.

A video circulating on social media shown moment Emmanson was bundled and dragged out of the Ibom Airplane after assaulting airline staff on a flight from Uyo to Lagos.

She was subsequently arrested and charged for her action which many have condemned.

However, Yesufu has drawn a stark contrast between Emmanson’s treatment and the cases of other prominent figures, Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1) and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who were involved in separate airline-related incidents but were not arrested or detained.

“Just the way they asked King Wasiu to come down… King Wasiu Ayinde, according to reports, actually poured whatever he had in the plane and even was stopping an aircraft. But he has not been remanded,” she pointed out.

“Why didn’t you drag King Wasiu Ayinde out of the aircraft like that? Why didn’t they bundle Senator Adams Oshiomhole and drag him on the floor?” Yesufu questioned.

Yesufu also condemned the manner in which Comfort Emmanson was physically restrained by security agents.

She alleged that Emmanson was dragged in such a way that her dress was torn, exposing her breasts to the public.

“That is sexual harassment. That is you putting somebody’s nudity in the public while there was literally no need for that to be in the public place,” Yesufu said, lamenting that Emmanson would now “forever live with the fact that her body part… is now all out on display and people will continue to make caricatures with it.”

In a post via her 𝕏 account, Yesufu questioned the lack of dignity in the handling of the situation, suggesting that a more respectful approach could have been taken.

“Imagine the way they dragged her out. Do they even train the security agents on what to do? They dragged her as if they were dragging chicken and someone from the back drew her dress that it tore and exposed her breasts,” Yesufu said.

The Background Of Emmanson’s Controversial Story

On August 10, Emmanson allegedly refused to comply with a standard aviation safety rule when she was instructed by the cabin crew to switch off her phone.

This led to a confrontation when another passenger turned off the device on her behalf, prompting Emmanson to lash out in anger.

Emmanson was accused of attacking a crew member and attempting to use a fire extinguisher as a weapon, actions that the airline described as putting the aircraft in potential danger.

As a result, Ibom Air banned her indefinitely, and the Airline Operators of Nigeria placed her on a lifetime no-fly list.

She was arrested by airport security, handed over to the police, charged to court, and remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre.

In a video shared on her officla 𝕏 account on Monday, Yesufu criticised the case, suggesting that Emmanson’s treatment highlights the deep-rooted inequality in the application of the law in Nigeria.

“We cannot have a nation where we have two justice systems, and depending on your social standing in society, that will determine the kind of justice system given to you or aligns to you. That is unacceptable,” Yesufu said.

The activist added that while she was “not against the charges and accusations” against Emmanson, she believes justice must be applied equally to all citizens.

“The reason it is the rule of law is that it applies to everybody, not that it applies to some people and not to others,” she emphasised.

Yesufu further criticised the selective justice that she believes is evident in the contrasting treatment between Emmanson and other influential figures.

“Why was it only Comfort that they felt comfortable dragging on the floor and displaying her body all over the space? There are a whole lot that is wrong there,” Yesufu stated, adding that the lack of similar action against prominent figures like KWAM 1 and Oshiomhole reflects a larger issue of selective justice.

She concluded, “I will say it again, selective justice is actually injustice.”