“We were on the emergency row… one air hostess was very polite, another spoke down on her,” the witness said.
Olubunmi Balogun Shonubi, who claims she sat near Comfort Emmanson on the Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos on 10 August, has given her account of the events preceding the incident that led to Comfort’s arrest.
Comfort is accused of assaulting airline crew and airport officials and is currently remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Centre in Lagos.
Posting on Facebook, Olubunmi said Comfort initially complied with instructions from a polite air hostess but clashed with another crew member over switching off her iPhone before takeoff. Comfort reportedly explained the phone’s power button was faulty and asked the hostess to assist.
“She said, ‘Please take my phone and do it. I cannot read. I am not literate.’ The woman said, ‘I don’t have time for your nonsense. I am not touching your phone,’” Olubunmi wrote.
According to her, nearby passengers intervened, but the crew member threatened to have Comfort removed from the flight. Olubunmi said the exchange drew negative reactions from other passengers, prompting Comfort to verbally lash out after feeling humiliated.
“When we landed… she quickly went to the toilet and didn’t come out till we all got off the plane. Seeing the video now confirms my suspicions,” she added.
Her account has sparked mixed reactions online, with some criticising her description of Comfort’s appearance and others questioning her version of events.
Ibom Air has not issued fresh comments on the eyewitness claims.