The case of Mrs. Comfort Emmanson: a marked reminder of disagreement – Dalung

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The calvary reported by Mrs. Comfort Emmanson by Ibom Air Funders and Nigerian Security Agency is more than an isolated accident – it is a worrying reflection of how the poor and impotent are often treated in our society.

According to the accounts, Mrs. Emmanson was accused of not having respected the instructions of the cabin crew to turn off the phone during a flight. What followed, however, went well beyond the reasonable application of aerial regulations. Upon arrival in Lagos, he was held by the flight personnel, removed from the plane with useless force, stripped of his clothes, shot in this humiliating state and rushed through a judicial process that ended with his mandate in the Kirikiri prison.

This is clearly contrasting with how similar accidents have been managed involving high -profile individuals. When Senator Adams Oshiomhole once airport operations have been interrupted, the question ended with the apologies and the supply of a special plane. In the same way, when Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (Kwam 1) according to what reported a flight of valuesjet and engaged in inappropriate behavior against a female captain, the accident concluded with public excuses – not a prison cell.

The disparity is clear: those with influence are welcomed with understanding, while the normal Nigerians face the full weight of the punitive action. These double standards erode public trust in our institutions and violate the principle of equal protection pursuant to the law.

No citizen should be stripped of dignity, subjected to a degrading treatment or a fair process denied, regardless of their social or economic status. If these accusations are demonstrated true, they are equivalent to a serious violation of the fundamental human rights of Mrs. Emmanson.

Therefore I ask for an impartial investigation, the immediate release of Mrs. Emmanson, the appropriate compensation for the indignations he suffered and the public apologies of Ibom Air in at least two national newspapers.

In this case, justice does not concern only a woman, but it is a question of reaffirming that in Nigeria the law must protect the weak as it protects the powerful.

Bar. Solomon Dalung is a former minister of sport and youth development of Nigeria.