President of the Nigerian Bar Association Senior Advocate Afam Osigwe has criticized the lifetime ban imposed on Ibom Air passenger Comfort Emmanson, describing it as hasty action that violated her rights and resembled “jungle justice.”
Speaking in an interview with TVC from 4:34, Osigwe condemned both Ibom Air and the Airline Operators of Nigeria for acting without due process in imposing the ban. “In imposing what I would call a blanket life ban on the lady, both Ibom Air and Airline Operators of Nigeria acted hastily and in violation of her rights. They became both the accuser and the judge and witnesses in their own court. Without a hearing, they rushed to judgment and imposed the so-called ban,” he stated.
The NBA President expressed concern about the broader implications of such actions for airline passengers and Nigeria’s justice system. “It portrays us as a people who have no respect for fair hearing, for allowing the other side to present their own story and getting a total picture of what happened.
And this poses grave danger to airline travelers who can, on a mere allegation of misconduct within an airline being leveled against them, be banned by either the airline or the Airline Operators of Nigeria. That’s like jungle justice. I’m not sure that’s the kind of image we want to portray,” Osigwe explained.
He emphasized that proper procedures should have been followed before any punitive measures were taken. “There should have been a hearing, and if after all evidence is in, grounds exist for banning the person, then the law should take its course,” he noted.
Osigwe suggested that the harsh treatment reflected discrimination based on the passenger’s social status. “But when in the heat of action, without hearing the lady, we hastily charge to court and she’s remanded, and then the case is adjourned to October 6th, and this is just August, and then she’s placed on a lifetime ban, it appears like an attempt to show her that she’s a poor person, she’s a small person, and she can’t do anything. And that’s not the kind of image I want us to project,” he said.
The NBA President further argued that the case becomes particularly concerning when compared to a similar incident involving popular fuji musician Wasiu Ayinde that occurred just a week earlier. He noted that aviation agencies had discussed banning the musician pending investigation following his security breach, but no such action was ultimately taken.
According to the NBA President, Ayinde’s conduct appeared to pose a greater threat to aircraft safety and passenger lives compared to Comfort Emmanson’s case involving phone compliance. He emphasized the disparity in how the two incidents were handled despite the varying degrees of potential danger they presented.
He criticized what he perceived as preferential treatment for prominent figures compared to ordinary citizens facing similar violations.
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