Nigerian lawyer, David Ogebe, who happened to be onboard the Ibom Air flight in question, has provided a detailed, firsthand narration of the entire sequence of events that unfolded on the plane between Ms. Comfort Emmanson and the air hostess, shedding more light on what actually transpired beyond what was captured in the viral videos.
It will be recalled that Ms. Emmanson, a young lady whose name began trending after multiple video clips surfaced online showing her in a heated altercation with the air hostess, was subsequently remanded in prison. The incident sparked a wave of online debate, with Nigerians divided over whether she had been unnecessarily provoked or whether she had acted out of line. The matter drew so much public attention that on the 13th of August, following a sustained outcry on social media, she was released from detention.
Speaking during a televised interview with Channels, David Ogebe — a legal practitioner with years of experience and an eyewitness to the entire confrontation — insisted that Ms. Emmanson had indeed been provoked by the manner in which she was addressed and handled by the flight crew. According to him, he was seated in very close proximity to her and could both see and hear every interaction from start to finish.
Mr. Ogebe recalled that he was seated on the aisle seat to the left, seat number 14B, with another passenger to his left in seat 14A. Directly across the aisle from him was Ms. Emmanson, occupying what he believed to be seat 14C, while the window seat beside her was 14D. Because it was a small aircraft, he estimated that the distance between him and Ms. Emmanson was no more than two feet, which allowed him to observe the exchanges without obstruction. “I heard everything,” he emphasized, before noting that he himself felt a sense of humiliation watching how the second air hostess addressed her.
He clarified that the first air hostess, who appeared polite and professional, had initially instructed passengers to switch off their phones before takeoff, adding that after takeoff they could turn them back on in flight mode. She then personally asked Ms. Emmanson twice to switch off her phone before continuing with her duties. This interaction was uneventful. However, trouble began when the second air hostess, described by Mr. Ogebe as aggressive from her very posture, approached the emergency exit row where Ms. Emmanson was seated. At that moment, Ms. Emmanson appeared to be fiddling with her food and also dealing with her phone.
When asked again to switch off her phone, Ms. Emmanson explained that the power buttons on her device were faulty and that she was unable to turn it off. The second air hostess, rather than offering assistance calmly, repeatedly ordered her to switch it off. At one point, she remarked that because it was an iPhone, a button was not even necessary to shut it down. Ms. Emmanson then asked if the air hostess could help her do it, but the latter refused outright, saying she would not touch her phone. Instead, she began giving verbal instructions on how to shut it down through the phone’s settings — telling her to go to “Settings” and then “General.” According to Mr. Ogebe, Ms. Emmanson responded that she could not follow the instructions or read clearly what was on the screen, prompting the air hostess to retort, “I don’t have time for your nonsense.” She then mockingly began spelling out “General” letter by letter. This was the point at which both Mr. Ogebe and the passenger seated to his right intervened verbally, urging the hostess to calm down and assist in a more respectful manner.
Mr. Ogebe admitted he was unfamiliar with iPhones and therefore asked the passenger on Ms. Emmanson’s right to assist her. While this was happening, Ms. Emmanson began questioning why she was being embarrassed in front of others. The air hostess then allegedly threatened her, saying, “If you say another word, I will deal with you.” That was when Ms. Emmanson lost her composure and began cursing — in language Mr. Ogebe described as “very flowery and actuated,” though not directly aimed at any particular individual. The second air hostess then abruptly left the area and did not return to their row for the remainder of the flight.
After the phone issue was resolved by the helpful passenger, some other travellers seated nearby, unaware of the full backstory, urged Ms. Emmanson to comply with safety instructions so as not to “risk their lives.” However, those seated in the emergency exit row clarified to them that she had never refused to switch off her phone; she had simply encountered technical difficulty doing so. This diffused the tension somewhat, but according to Mr. Ogebe, Ms. Emmanson continued to simmer with anger, muttering about how she felt targeted and poorly treated despite paying for her ticket like everyone else.
Mr. Ogebe also noted that throughout the flight, the second air hostess appeared to periodically glance back toward their row, as if to monitor the situation. Upon landing, the first, more professional air hostess assisted Ms. Emmanson in stowing away her belongings. Shortly thereafter, Ms. Emmanson left her seat, possibly to use the toilet located near the rear of the plane, before disembarkation began. Passengers in their row exited the aircraft without further incident. It was only later, when videos of the altercation began circulating online, that Mr. Ogebe fully realized the incident had escalated after landing into a major controversy.
In concluding his account, the lawyer stressed that at no point during the exchanges did the subject of “airplane mode” come up in his hearing. For him, the critical factor was the tone and manner in which Ms. Emmanson had been addressed, which, in his opinion, unnecessarily escalated a situation that could have been resolved calmly and without incident.
