- As conflicting accounts trail the incident
A Catholic priest, Reverend Father Emmanuel Ehioma, has advised all those who have watched the Ibom Air video to go for confession.
The viral clip showed the chest area of the passenger, Comfort Emmanson, while she was being forced off the Ibom Air plane. A Catholic priest, Emmanuel Ehioma says anyone who watched the video more than once should go for confession.
The clip has been met with mixed reactions, with people condemning its release due to the indecent exposure of the lady’s chest area.
Father Emmanuel, in a Facebook post, said it was not a sin to have seen the Ibom Air clip the first time, but rewatching it becomes a sin, and advised all who have seen it more than once to confess to God.
He wrote: “It wasn’t a SIN that you saw her nude while watching that video bcos you didn’t expect it. But if you went back to watch it again, you have to go for confession.”
In the comment section, the priest noted that his message was not a feel-good one and equated watching adult clips to rewatching the Ibom Air clip. According to him, the same motivation to watch adult videos was what made people watch the Ibom Air video more than twice. He said it was regrettable to see people gloat while talking about the exposed body part of the embattled Ibom Air passenger.
In his words: “This post doesn’t need to make you feel good. If you confess your sins about watching (adult videos) videos and obscene pictures, then you have to also confess this. The second, third, fourth, and other times you went back to watch that video were because of your hunger to see her nude and feel good about it, just the same way you act towards porns.
“It is really regrettable to see husbands, fathers, and even wives and mothers describing a lady’s (mammary glands), it felt so terrible. “Kindly meet your Priest and confess to the Lord. “God bless you.”
Legit.ng has compiled some reactions to the Catholic priest’s post below:
Naza Emmanuel said: “Accidentally seeing something and intentionally rewatching it aren’t morally identical, but that doesn’t mean the second is automatically ‘wrong’ or requires some ritual to ‘fix’ it. Morality is not a stopwatch where your first glance is free and the second is forbidden. It is about context, intent, and personal values. Blanket statements ignore the complexity of human choice.”
Nkembaby Chukwurah said: “Fr, let me remind you that you’ll sit at the confessional for a very long time ooo. So many people watched it many times. All of us will come for confession in your parish.”
Jude Sunday said: “😂😂😂😂 I laughed in Swahili… It means that about 80% of Nigerians on Facebook will go for confession, including priests…I no go lie for you, I watched it 3 times immediately when I saw the video…”
Anthony Tade said: “If you read the headline earlier and later search for the video to understand what you read, is confession needed Padre? 😂”
Okeke Kayci Kenechukwu said: “Brezz that we were playing with as kids while breastfeeding has now suddenly become a sin that we saw it … Well, I’m still in my toddler mode oo, I no follow una grow up oo.”
U.E. Odimegwu said: “Queue go long for Saturday confession. I go carry all my friends come.”
In the meantime, conflicting accounts of the incident have surfaced on the internet.
Public sympathy, especially on social media, is swinging to her side, as audios and stories from those who were on board the flight emerge online.
Ibom’s account
Narrating what transpired in a statement, Ibom said Emmanson shortly before take-off from Uyo was “instructed in line with standard aviation safety procedures, to switch off her mobile phone. She bluntly refused to comply until the Pilot-in-Command made an announcement, after which a fellow passenger seated beside her took the phone and switched it off. This action prompted a verbal tirade from Ms. Emmanson. The situation was eventually calmed, and the flight departed as scheduled.
“Upon arrival in Lagos, Emmanson waited for all other passengers to disembark and then proceeded to confront the Purser who had earlier instructed her. She walked up to the unsuspecting Purser, stepped on her, forcibly tore off her wig, removed her glasses and threw it to the floor, and used her footwear to assault her. She slapped her several times and when the other cabin crew member tried to intervene, she slapped her too. She then attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon, an act that could have damaged and grounded the aircraft.
“By this time, the Pilot-in-Command had alerted airport security. Before security could arrive, the Purser as seen on the viral video on the internet, prevented the passenger from leaving the aircraft until security arrived. The arrival of Ibom Air Security personnel, did not deter the passenger as she attacked them as well, lashing out violently at both Ibom Air and FAAN security. She was then restrained and removed from the aircraft by force. Even after disembarking, she continued to assault both Ibom Air and FAAN security staff, and even slapped the ground supervisor.”
Passengers’ accounts
However, in an audio recording posted by one UnkleAyo on X, a passenger, who refused to disclose his identity, dismissed the airline’s account.
In the audio recording, the passenger said: “Honestly speaking, that lady did not do up to 10 per cent of what I would have done if I were in her shoes. Those people (Ibom) posted what they wanted everyone to see. They created and painted the narrative they wanted people to see so that people could actually pity them. This lady (Emmanson) was not insulting; she was not rude. I do not even know the words to use.
“The whole issue started with the air hostess. That lady is power drunk, that is the word I can use right now. She is the kind of Nigerian elder who wants everything they say to be done their way. By the way, I was on the flight. How do you go and meet someone and tell them to turn off their phone, but when the person says: ‘My phone is on flight mode, and I am actually going through the phone editing videos,’ the next thing is to raise your voice and say, ‘All these useless children, all these people who have no respect. Do I look like your mate?’ The lady (Emmanson) was still calm and even tried to show her the phone, but she (the air hostess) took the phone and smashed it on the floor.
“When it was time to deboard the plane, you blocked her and said you had called security on her. The lady tried to pass, but she was pushed away. She said another person could pass. It was the part they wanted the country to see that they posted. Truth be told, when those security people came, the lady was very quiet, even from the dragging of clothes to the slapping. That air hostess literally slapped that lady.
“When the security people came, there was a pastor on board who called for calm, saying that was not what happened. The next thing that came out of their mouths was: ‘Does the man want to be used as an example?”
In another screenshot of what transpired posted by one Tunde Ibrahim on WhatsApp, the passenger stated: “I was on board. It was the crew member that resisted the lady from coming down because of putting the phone off and not putting the phone off. The lady told the crew that her phone was already on flight mode. After landing, they refused to allow the lady to come down, saying they had called the airport security. In fact, they pushed the lady back on the seat for many of us to pass.”
