Whenever there is a conflict, you listen to both sides to be able to take an objective decision or position – Azowue, O. E. (2025)

In a conflict situation, the most powerful always stands at advantage against the less powerful – Azowue, O. E. (2025)

Never be quick to take a position in a conflict situation until you have heard every part of the story – Azowue, O. E. (2025)

 

Taste the Goodness: EL Blends All-Natural Cold-Pressed Juices

Until prominent Nigerians like Peter Obi came into the picture, the Ibom Air saga involving a certain young lady and an air hostess would have gone against the passenger – young lady. While the public were brandished with the side of the story of the management of Ibom Air in favour of their employee, the air hostess against the supposedly unruly young lady who was a passenger of the airline; who was molested by some male security operatives, verbally assaulted by the air hostess, was hurriedly tried in a Magistrate Court and remanded in Kirikiri maximum security prison, without being given the opportunity to a lawyer to defend her case; something that is against the extant laws of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As amended).

 

While trying to analyse the Ibom Air saga, we must understand that regardless of whatever Ms Comfort Emerson (the supposed unruly Ibom Air passenger) must have done, it is inappropriate to have had her being assaulted by some make security operatives. She was subjected to an inhuman treatment, stripped naked and being streamed live by one of the Ibom Air officials, which was in turn posted for the world to view in different social media handles. Until date, we have not heard of any disciplinary measure taken against the Ibom Air official that streamed the nakedness of Ms Comfort Emmason on social media, and you want the common man in Nigeria to believe that the justice system can ever be fair and just to them? Unfortunately, that cannot happen, and not any time soon in Nigeria.

 

While Miss Comfort Emerson was being remanded in prison, some other Nigerian who had committed a much more grievous offence than what Miss Comfort was accused of walked out of the airport a free man in his own case. According to Peter Obi, “This case is not just about one young woman, it is about the double standard that poisons our justice system. Justice in Nigeria must never be about who is poorer or powerless verses who has influence or access to government officials”.

Peter Obi went further to say that, “While Miss Comfort Emerson is in jail (though out of jail now), the other offender who committed a more severe offence has never been held to the same standard. He has neither been arrested or arraigned in any court. We must build a country where justice is fair, equal, and not selective, especially against women who are seen to be weaker. This young lady’s offence does not compare to the crimes committed daily by those parading themselves as excellences while looting public funds without consequences, and yet they have not been stripped or dehumanized in the name of justice”.

 

We must end selective treatment of the poor or less privileged if justice must be served, it should be served to all, and it must be served fairly. The Minister of Aviation and other relevant authorities owe the public an explanation for this double standard in their adjudication. Justice must be just, or it is nothing at all. The rule of law based on justice for all must remain the guide point of democracy (Obi, 2025).

Though, Miss Comfort Emerson have been released from detention, the charges brought against her dropped, and she was hurriedly made an Ambassador of Ibom Air in line with the Ambassadorial position being granted to KWAM 1, there have been other revelations from some eye witnesses who were passengers of the same Ibom Air flight where the saga occurred that needs to be talked about for the sake of posterity and clarity.

 

In the account of one of the passengers of Ibom Air who chose to speak up after the incident occurred noted that, when Miss Comfort Emerson was confronted by the air hostess (Juliana) to switch off her phone in line with the standard rule of Nigeria aviation, she (Comfort Emerson) politely told the air hostess, Juliana that her phone was on flight mood, and that she was trying to edit some of the videos in her phone, Juliana left after raining insults on Comfort Emerson, calling her spoilt brat and cheap prostitute. Juliana didn’t stop there; she came back to forcefully tried to collect Comfort Emerson’s phone which she resisted. Sensing that Comfort Emerson may likely press charges against her when she alights from the flight, decided to create a scene where Comfort Emerson was therein seen as the aggressor against her, and other crew members of Ibom Air in the flight.

 

Unfortunately, till date, many Nigerians have not had time to hear from Comfort Emerson’s side of the story, not until a few days ago when she did a video and posted it online explaining her own part of the story, and this is after some of us had already labelled her as being unruly, irresponsible and irrational. We are in a country where we criticize the oppressed, but are fast to join forces with the oppressor against the oppressed. This is an unfortunate situation we have had to live with, but we must change our ways from doing such before one of us (the oppressed) finds him or herself in such a situation.

Until then, there was indeed a country!

 

Azowue O. Emmanuel
(Pen of the gods)