By Jide Francis
Society Page Editor
A Lagos court has ordered the remand of a female passenger accused of physically assaulting an Ibom Air staff member, sending her to Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending trial. The incident, which reportedly occurred at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, drew public outrage after videos surfaced showing the woman confronting and allegedly attacking the airline employee during a heated exchange.
Magistrate B. O. Osunsanmi ruled that the defendant be held in custody until her bail application is considered, stressing that assaults on aviation personnel will not be taken lightly. The prosecution told the court that the alleged attack disrupted airport operations and violated aviation safety laws, which mandate the protection of crew and ground staff.
The case, however, has sparked a wider debate after Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi publicly condemned the assault but questioned what he described as “unequal application of justice.” In a statement on Monday, Obi said:
“No one should assault another human being, especially those in the line of duty. However, I am disturbed that in this case, swift legal action has been taken, while the other airport offender — who committed a more severe offence — has not been subjected to the same legal process.”
Obi did not name the other offender but alluded to a recent incident involving a prominent figure at the same airport, who allegedly obstructed security operations and verbally abused officials but faced no immediate detention.
His comments have reignited public conversations about selective justice and the perceived preferential treatment enjoyed by influential individuals. Many Nigerians have taken to social media, some defending the court’s action as necessary for deterrence, while others echoed Obi’s concern about fairness and equality before the law.
The case is expected to continue in the coming weeks, with legal analysts predicting that the high-profile attention — combined with the political undertones — could make it a test case for consistency in the enforcement of laws within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
For now, the accused remains in Kirikiri pending her bail hearing, while the conversation over justice, equality, and accountability rages on.
