Comfort Emmanson, the airline passenger who went viral following an altercation on Ibom Air last year, has cried foul, claiming she was barred from boarding a flight — despite having already paid for her ticket.
Emmanson, who was briefly remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre after the incident with Ibom Air crew, said she only discovered she had been blacklisted at the airport, with no prior warning.
In a recent Instagram post, the lady shared a screenshot of an unsuccessful flight booking attempt.
An error message read: “Passenger name record in blacklist cannot be ticketed”.
She also posted an email from ValueJet, which informed her that her ticket fee would be refunded because her name had been added to a blacklist by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
“Sequel to our mail below, kindly provide your account details to proceed your refund. Also please note that your name was blacklisted by the Nigerian Civil Aviation,” the airline’s message read.
In the caption accompanying the post, Emmanson expressed frustration over the lack of communication.
“I was blacklisted without any warning, and the worst part is only found out when got to the airport. It’s honestly so upsetting and unfair,” she wrote.
“I had no idea, no chance to fix anything, just completely blindsided. It feels really frustrating to be put in that position without any notice at all.”
In a separate post, Emmanson called out ValueJet, alleging that her payment was processed despite the blacklist restriction.
“Dear @flyvaluejet Please kindly refund my money. I was informed that my name is on your blacklist, yet my payment was still processed. It is unfair that I was charged without being issued a ticket or notified beforehand about this restriction,” she wrote.
“I have also sent emails and text messages regarding this issue but have not received any response. I would appreciate it if my refund is processed immediately. Thank you.”
The aviation authorities have not officially responded to Emmanson’s allegations — as of the time of this report.
Emmanson first gained public attention in August 2025 following a heated altercation with Ibom Air crew and airport security.
The confrontation reportedly began before takeoff when she refused to switch off her phone, leading to a dispute with cabin crew and fellow passengers.
The situation escalated upon arrival in Lagos, where she was accused of assaulting a flight attendant. Video clips from the incident circulated widely online.
She was placed on a lifetime “no-fly” list by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), which cited unruly behaviour. That ban was later lifted.
