By Berende Hassan Bola (u19mm1048)
The Federal Government, through the Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, has condemned the public release of a video showing a female passenger in a state of indecent exposure during an altercation onboard Ibom Air. In a statement shared on X, Keyamo described the video's leak as “deplorable and unacceptable” and ordered that the staff responsible be “singled out and adequately sanctioned”.
The incident happened on August 10 aboard Ibom Air Flight Q153 from Uyo to Lagos, when Ms. Comfort Emmanson, also known as Comfort Bob, refused to switch off her phone and later began a physical assault on the crew and ground staff. While Keyamo affirmed that filming her behavior for evidence was justified, he stressed that publicly broadcasting the indecent clip crossed a line and disrespected womanhood.
Labour Party’s Peter Obi, in a statement on X, echoed the need for justice but also called out what he sees as double standards. He expressed sympathy for the airline crew but criticized the dehumanizing treatment of Ms. Emmanson, who was quickly arraigned and remanded, pointing to a similar incident involving Fuji musician KWAM1 (Wasiu Ayinde), who was not treated with the same urgency. Obi stated, “Justice must be fair, equal, and served to all citizens regardless of their status”.
Reno Omokri, contrastingly, fired back and praised the musician Kwam 1 for issuing a public apology after an airport incident, something he said Peter Obi has yet to do regarding his own “Yes Daddy” audio controversy. On X, Omokri wrote:
“It takes courage to do what K1 De Ultimate did, courage that Peter Obi obviously does not have. That is why I salute King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall and continue to respect him.”
He went on to argue that while Kwam 1’s apology reflected human weakness, not wickedness, Obi’s refusal to acknowledge or deny the leaked audio demonstrates a lack of accountability in his view.
The debate has since widened beyond the leaked video, touching on fairness, dignity, and political accountability.