BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights has condemned the alleged assault of Ms Comfort Emmanson aboard an Ibom Air flight, describing the airline’s conduct as unjust, discriminatory, and an affront to the woman’s dignity.
The organisation’s Executive Director, Dr Bunmi Dipo-Salami, in an exclusive interview with Nigerian NewsDirect on Tuesday, expressed strong disapproval over what she termed a degrading and inhumane treatment of the passenger.
She recounted that Ms Emmanson was dragged in a manner likened to “a ram being pulled to slaughter”, leaving parts of her body exposed before onlookers, an ordeal that, she said, robbed her of dignity and humanity.
Dr Dipo-Salami cautioned that such humiliation represents a grave violation of human rights and could inflict long-lasting trauma, eroding the victim’s self-worth and personal security.
She criticised the airline’s perceived double standards, pointing out that when popular Nigerian musician Kwam 1 was involved in a separate inflight altercation, the consequence was merely a temporary ban of a few months. She maintained that regardless of Ms Emmanson’s actions, no justification existed for stripping her of her dignity in such a public and degrading manner.
According to her, the incident reflects a troubling hostility towards women in workplaces and public spaces.
While noting that the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has ordered an investigation, Dr Dipo-Salami raised concerns about the fairness of the process, stressing that the passenger’s detention before the public has heard her side of the story calls the transparency of the proceedings into question.
She remarked that any probe must be thorough, impartial, and devoid of bias, stressing that justice demands Ms Emmanson’s account be heard before any conclusions are reached.
The women’s rights advocate called for urgent training of aviation personnel on conflict resolution, gender sensitivity, and compliance with human rights standards, noting that such measures would help prevent future occurrences.
She appealed to government agencies, aviation regulators, and the public to remain vigilant against gender-based discrimination, warning that incidents like this could deepen systemic biases that harm women.
Dr Dipo-Salami concluded that society must reject any practice that undermines women’s rights and dignity, urging Ibom Air and all relevant stakeholders to ensure fairness, accountability, and respect for human rights in addressing the matter.
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