David Ogede, a lawyer and co-passenger on the Ibom Air Uyo–Lagos flight involving Ms Comfort Emmanson, has provided a detailed account of the events that culminated in her violent altercation with cabin crew and subsequent forceful removal from the aircraft.

 

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, Ogede said he was seated “immediately to the left” of Ms Emmanson during the incident. “I was in the aisle to the left, she was in the aisle to the right. My seat number was 14B, the gentleman to my right was 14A, so her own seat number should be either 14C or 14D,” he explained.

 

According to Ogede, the confrontation began before take-off when the first air hostess instructed passengers to switch off their phones completely, not just activate airplane mode, until after take-off. “She addressed us all, then turned to Ms Emmanson and said, ‘Please switch off your phone,’” he recalled.

 

Moments later, a second hostess, who appeared in the viral video being assaulted by Ms Emmanson, approached and repeated the instruction. “From her posture, you could tell she came for trouble,” Ogede said. “Ms Emmanson told her, ‘The buttons on my phone to switch off are not working, so I don’t know how to switch it off.’”

 

The exchange reportedly escalated when the hostess pointed out that Emmanson was using an iPhone, insisting that a button was not needed to power it down. Emmanson, however, claimed she did not know how to operate it. The hostess refused to handle the phone directly but attempted to give verbal instructions, telling her to “go to settings, then general.”

 

Ogede said Emmanson claimed she could not read the phone’s menu or understand the directions. “The hostess now said, ‘I don’t have time for your nonsense’ and began to spell ‘G’, ‘E…’ That was when the gentleman beside me and I told her not to speak to us like that. She didn’t even acknowledge us.”

 

He recounted that his fellow passenger tried to assist Emmanson with the phone while she questioned why she was being embarrassed. At that point, the second hostess allegedly warned, “You better keep quiet now. If you say another word, I will deal with you.”

 

“That was when Ms Emmanson flared up and began cursing,” Ogede said, adding that the language was “X-rated” and unrepeatable. The hostess left, telling her, “Okay, we will see,” and did not return.

 

Ogede said other passengers urged her to comply and turn off her phone, warning about safety risks. However, he and the man beside him explained she was trying to do so.

 

Throughout the flight, Ogede observed, Emmanson kept muttering angrily to herself, complaining that she had paid for her ticket and questioning why she was being treated that way. “The second hostess kept checking to see how things were going,” he added.

 

When the plane landed, Ogede said the first hostess and the pilot helped passengers disembark. “I assumed Ms Emmanson went to the toilet, because that was the only compartment left. We went out and totally forgot about her until we started seeing the videos,” he concluded.