The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has strongly condemned the treatment of passengers involved in recent airline incidents, describing certain actions by airport and airline personnel as “a clear affront on human dignity” and a breach of both Nigerian and international human rights standards.
Speaking at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, reaffirmed the NHRC’s commitment to protecting the dignity of all persons, regardless of the circumstances, and demanded urgent reforms in the aviation sector to prevent a repeat of such violations.
The Commission’s intervention follows widely circulated videos on social media showing passengers being forcefully removed from aircraft under circumstances it described as degrading. Among the reported cases are the recent ValueJet Airlines incident involving Nigerian entertainer Wasiu Ayinde-Marshal and an Ibom Air incident.
Ojukwu stated that: @Torture and inhuman treatment are absolutely prohibited,” stressing that the prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment is an absolute right that cannot be suspended under any circumstances, citing Nigeria’s obligations under the 1999 Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention Against Torture, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The NHRC boss noted that acts such as physical assault, stripping a person naked, public shaming, and unnecessary exposure of intimate body parts as seen in one of the incidents amount to torture under Nigeria’s Anti-Torture Act, 2017.
The Commission further condemned the recording and online dissemination of such incidents, calling it “a secondary form of harm and further degrading treatment.”
The NHRC boss charged airlines as a matter of responsibility to ensure their operations and personnel do not contribute to rights violations.
He said: @Proper protocols and de-escalation training could have produced different results in both incidents,” urging aviation authorities to mandate comprehensive human rights training for all airline and airport staff, and to sanction any entity found to have breached rights protections.
He called on the Ministry of Aviation and other aviation regulators to immediately review protocols for handling unruly passengers to ensure they comply with human rights standards including rights to dignity, safety, fair hearing, and freedom from torture.
Ojukwu also urged prosecutorial and investigative agencies to swiftly prosecute any individuals directly implicated in human rights abuses under the Anti-Torture Act, while pledging support to all victims in line with its statutory mandate.
He disclosed that NHRC has issued an advisory to all aviation authorities and stakeholders on the right to dignity and protection against torture in aviation operations in Nigeria., noting that the advisory aims to safeguard both passengers and airline staff from human rights violations during flight operations.
Ojukwu assured that the Commission will continue to monitor developments to ensure accountability in the cases of Miss Comfort Emasin, Mr. Wasiu Ayinde-Marshal, and others affected by such incidents.
He insisted that: “Our duty is not only to protect the rights of passengers, but also those of crew members and airline staff,”stating that: “These incidents must never happen again in a civilised society.”
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