- Safiu Kehinde
A Nigerian lawyer and eyewitness who was on board the Uyo-to-Lagos bound Ibom Air flight, David Ogebe, has given his account of the between the airline’s hostess and its unruly passenger, Comfort Emmanson.
Ogebe who sat at the left aisle directly opposite Emmanson had in an interview on Channels TV’s Morning Brief Show on Thursday recounted how the lady’s inability to switch off her phone had led to her clash with the air hostess.
The eyewitness firstly clarified that there two air hostesses in the plane.
He described the first hostess as professional and polite all through the flight while labelling the second air hostess who he confirmed to be the one assaulted by Emmanson, as rude and humiliating with poor manner of talking.
According to Ogebe, Emmanson had issue turnin going her while being instructed by the first air hostess. This attracted the attention of the second air hostess who ordered the lady the put off her phone in a manner Ogebe described as humiliating.
This he claimed stirred the provocation in Emmanson as she was reportedly fuming and cursing all through the flight.
While Ogebe admitted that Emmanson never referred her anger at anyone specifically, he disclosed that the second air hostess had threatened to deal with her.
This reportedly led to a little face off between the duo before the passenger beside Emmanson assisted her in turning off the phone with the second air hostess returning to her duty until the drama that ensued on arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
Ogebe narrated; “I was sitting to her immediate left. I was on the aisle seat to the left. She was on the aisle seat to the right. My seat number was 14B. There was a gentleman to my left whose seat number was 14A. So, her own seat number should be either 14C or D. I think it should be 14D. We were right beside each other. I was a small plane. I think the distance between us is not more than two feet. I heard everything and saw all that transpired.
“Yes She was triggered. Even though the second air hostess who was speaking to her was directing instructions to her, just me sitting down there, I actually felt humiliated myself just looking at the way the lady was being spoken to. To be fair, Ibom Air instructed very clearly that no airplane mode, switch off your phone. After takeoff, you can put on flight mode. So, it was very clear.
“The first air hostess addressed us on the emergency exit rule protocols. After she did that, she spoke to Ms Emmanson and said please switch off your phone. She told her twice before this air hostess left to continue her duties.
“The second air hostess, the one who is being shown, now came towards us at the emergency exit and stood. Even from her posture, you could see that she came for trouble. And Ms. Emmanson has been fiddling with her phone. Probably trying to do some stuffs. And so she told her again to switch off her phone. And Ms. Emmanson said clearly to her, I heard it, that “The buttons to switch off my phone are not working. They are not working so I don’t know how to switch it off.”
“And the woman said no. switch off your phone. So, that back and forth went on. At a point, the second air hostess said look you are even using an iPhone. You don’t need the button to switch it off.
“The lady said okay I don’t know how to do it can you do it for me? She ( the second air hostess) said, “I’m not touching your phone. Just switch it off.” Emmanson said “I don’t know what to do.” The lady now said okay go to settings. When you get to settings, go to general.
“Emmanson then said “please I can’t understand what you are saying. I don’t know what you are saying”. The second air hostess now told her “I don’t have time for your nonsense.” Emmanson now said okay can you spell the General. The first hostess already started spelling.
“That was the point when the gentleman on my left now said “Come on what’s going on? Don’t talk to her like this” The second air hostess did not even acknowledge him. She did not even do as if she even see that someone was speaking.
“At that point, I asked the gentleman if he can help her. I don’t use iPhone so I’m not familiar with the settings. So, the gentleman now took the phone and started trying to sort it out. When that was going on, Ms. Emmanson now started talking to the second air hostess that why are you embarrassing me like this?
“And then the air hostess just said “You better keep quiet now! If you say another word, I will deal with you.” That was when Ms. Emmanson flared up and started cursing. I cannot say the things she was actually saying because the language was very flowery. I can’t say it.
“That was when the second air hostess said “Okay we will see.” And then she left and went towards the front of the aircraft. She never came back. That is exactly what transpired.
“After that happened, the gentle man on the right switched off the phone. And then a group of passengers started saying switch off your phone don’t risk our lives. And then we told them that’s not what happened. She never said she was not going to switch off her phone. She was trying to, but she said she had issues in switching it off.
“So, the passengers calmed down and we took off. That is what happened. It was clear to us at the emergency exit role that there was a problem here that needed to be handled very well because this lady kept simmering throughout the flight. She was cursing. I could hear her because I was right next to her. She was really upset because she felt as if these people are just against me.
“She said she brought this ticket with her own money so why should they treat her like this. That’s what she was saying and that’s what I heard. But I can’t tell you the other things she was saying because it was nasty. She wasn’t directing to anyone but she was just talking. It was clear that she was angry.
“And the second air hostess, the aggressor, kept checking to see how things are going at our end. So on the flight, the passenger by my side, as we were approaching landing was like “God help us o. Let’s get out safe before anything happen.” We were saying it in jest but we also knew that something was off.
“We were so worried that when they telling us to stowaway that we are landing. The lady didn’t hear that, I told that she should switch off her phone that we are landing. So the first air hostess in a very professional and polite way helped her to stowaway; helped her take her purse and put it in the cabin on top. She was very professional. All of that happened and then the plane landed.
“Once the plane landed, the first air hostess, the professional one, came to the front and started disembarking us. Just before she came to our turn, Ms. Emmanson stood and went back and I presumed she went to the toilet. I use the toilet myself and I know that the only compartment at the back is the toilet. There is even no apartment for the cabin crew. It’s just the toilet. That’s why I presumed she went to the toilet.
“When it got to our turn to disembark, most of us in our rll disembarked and we went out. We totally forgot about her until the video came out.”