Fact-Check: Viral Video of Ibom Air Passenger Causing Disruption Falsely Framed as Current Incident

By: Mustapha Lawal

Claim:

Certain social media accounts circulated a video claiming that the Nigeria-based airline Ibom Air disrupted its flight plan due to another passenger, implying a recent resemblance to the viral “KWAM 1 trend” or “Comfort vs Ibom” of chaotic airport behaviour.

Verdict:

False. The video in circulation is not new. It originates from an incident that occurred on 8 January 2025, involving a different Ibom Air flight (Uyo to Abuja) disrupted by a passenger refusing to fly without her luggage.

Background:

Certain social media accounts circulated a video claiming that the Nigeria-based airline Ibom Air disrupted its flight plan due to another passenger, implying a recent resemblance to the viral “KWAM 1 trend” or “Comfort vs Ibom” of chaotic airport behaviour.

In recent weeks, airports across Nigeria have become battlegrounds for viral disruptions. On 5 August 2025, Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1, made headlines at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. He allegedly blocked a ValueJet plane from taxiing after a confrontation over a flask, which airline staff suspected contained alcohol. Following the incident, the NCAA suspended the involved pilots and placed KWAM 1 on an indefinite no-fly list, and a formal police investigation is now underway.

Just days later, on 10 August, an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Lagos descended into chaos when passenger Comfort Emmanson refused to switch off her phone, assaulted cabin crew, and disrupted boarding. The airline banned her for life, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) blacklisted her across all member airlines, and she was remanded at Lagos’s Kirikiri Correctional Centre

These incidents triggered strong reactions: the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) denounced the airline’s treatment of Emmanson, especially the widely shared video showing her exposure during removal, as dehumanising, offering legal aid and calling for an independent investigation. Citizens have continued to condemn the apparent double standard in handling the two cases, while others argued for decorum and professional restraint from airline and security staff. 

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) clarified the disparity in outcomes: in the KWAM 1 case, ValueJet did not pursue legal action, limiting NCAA’s role to issuing petitions and advising a no-fly directive, whereas Ibom Air swiftly initiated prosecution in the Emmanson case, leading to immediate court action. 

Shortly after, another video surfaced purporting another Ibom Air passenger repeated the pattern, triggering public alarm with captions such as “KWAM 1 has started a trend! KWAM 3” and “What’s going on in Nigeria?”

However, does the video being shared under trending captions depict a recent incident?

Verification:

A reverse image search using keyframes from the viral footage traced the original context back to 8 January 2025, when an Ibom Air flight from Uyo to Abuja was cancelled after a passenger violently disrupted operations. 

According to multiple reports, including Vanguard, the passenger had been informed at check-in that due to weight constraints, some luggage might arrive on a later flight. Upon boarding and discovering her bag was not loaded, she refused to fly without it. She blocked the aisle and demanded her luggage be loaded or the flight would not depart. Even interventions by airline staff, Aviation Security (AVSEC), and the pilot failed, ultimately forcing cancellation when Uyo airport’s airspace closed at sunset. 

The disruption affected 89 passengers, many of whom were stranded and incurred losses. The airline incurred expenses for refreshments, transport, and accommodation, as well as rescheduling consequences. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirmed the incident’s timeline and said the disruptive passenger would face prosecution.

By contrast, the current August video involves Comfort Emmanson on a Uyo–Lagos flight. Even though both incidents involve aggressive passenger behaviour aboard Ibom Air flights, social media users misrepresented the January video as a repeat or continuation. In reality, the January case and the August altercations are entirely separate incidents.

Conclusion:

The video currently being circulated with captions referencing KWAM 1-like disruption is a misleading reuse of footage from a January 8, 2025 incident, involving a disruptive passenger who caused a flight cancellation due to her luggage refusal, not a recent event. The resurgence of this video under trending hashtags distorts the timing and context of the event, feeding unwarranted panic about aviation safety in Nigeria.