Girl-Child Fathers Seek Tough Measures Against Ibom Air

A group of fathers of the ladies that were on board the controversial Ibom Air flight in which Ms. Comfort Emmanson was stripped nude last week have called for stiffer measures against Ibom Air and its crew members that mishandled that incident.
In a statement made available to National Point, the fathers, who came under the umbrella of Concerned Fathers of Girl children Onboard Ibom Air, said Ibom Air crew members committed serious professional breaches on that flight and deserve to be sanctioned.
They however condemned Ms. Emmason’s alleged refusal to follow safety rules and her physical aggression toward passengers and crew members.
“However,” they said in the statement signed by Zach C. Hyellamada on behalf of the group, “Ibom Air’s own account reveals serious breaches of professionalism and passengers’ rights. ICAO Annex 17 and Annex 9 require crew to handle unruly passengers through de-escalation, proportional restraint, and protection of dignity.”
It said the Montreal Convention (1999, Articles 17 & 19) obligates carriers to ensure passenger safety without subjecting them to degrading treatment.
“In Nigeria, Civil Aviation Regulations Part 19 (Consumer Protection) and Part 20 (Handling of Unruly Passengers) demand that enforcement is lawful, proportionate, and respects human dignity.
“Blocking Ms. Comfort’s exit, physically bundling her, tearing her clothes, and exposing her breasts violate these provisions and constitute harassment under Nigerian law. Publicly releasing a one-sided narrative and imposing a lifetime ban without due process also breach both fairness and consumer protection principles,” the statement said.
They therefore demanded the immediate suspension of the crew involved pending a full investigation; an independent inquiry by the NCAA and the National Human Rights Commission; a public apology for any breach of dignity; and a mandatory retraining of Ibom Air staff in conflict resolution and the respectful handling of female passengers.
“Safety,” they said, “must never come at the expense of human dignity. Any airline that forgets this violates not just aviation law, but the trust of every passenger it carries.”