Yemi Obafemi
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has criticised what he described as “double standards” in the handling of the recent assault case involving a female passenger, Miss Comfort Emmanson, and the crew of Ibom Air.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on Monday announced a lifetime no-fly ban on Emmanson after she allegedly assaulted airline officials on a flight from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to Lagos. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, led to her being arraigned in court and remanded in custody.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, also condemned the release of an indecent video of Emmanson, directing that those responsible for leaking it be identified and sanctioned.
In a statement on his X handle, Obi apologised to the Ibom Air crew over the assault but condemned what he called the “dehumanising treatment” meted out to Emmanson.
“Stripping her publicly was not only unnecessary but represents the height of rascality and abuse by our agencies,” Obi said.
“It is unacceptable that she was hurriedly taken to court and remanded, while someone who visibly held a plane from taking off and put hundreds of lives at risk is still at large, with government agencies and some state officials speaking up for him to be forgiven.”
The incident came just days after Fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, was banned by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for six months over alleged unruly behaviour at the Abuja airport.
The former Anambra governor argued that the disparity in the two cases highlights systemic bias in Nigeria’s justice system, where the poor and less privileged are punished swiftly while influential figures escape accountability.
“While Ms. Comfort Emmanson is in jail, the other offender who committed a more severe offence has not been held to the same standard. He has neither been arrested nor arraigned in any court,” he said.
“We must build a country where justice is fair, equal, and not selective, especially against women who are seen to be weaker. This young lady’s offence does not compare to the crimes committed daily by those parading themselves as ‘excellencies’ while looting public funds without consequence, and yet they have not been stripped or dehumanised in the name of justice.”
Obi called on the Minister of Aviation and other relevant authorities to address the perceived double standards and ensure that justice in Nigeria is fair and impartial.
“We must end this selective treatment of the poor or less privileged. If justice must be served, it should be served to all, and it must be served fairly. The Minister of Aviation and other relevant authorities owe the public an explanation for these double standards in their adjudication.
Justice must be just, or it is nothing at all.
‘The rule of law based on justice for all must remain the guidepost of our democracy.”
