Firm to sue British Airways over alleged inhuman treatment of Nigerians

A law firm, Sovereignty Legal Practitioners, has threatened to file a class action against British Airways over the systematic inhuman treatment of Nigerian passengers using the airline.

In a pre-action letter to the airline dated August 30, 2024, and signed by its Principal Partner, Ife Ajayi, the law firm decried the persistent disruption of scheduled flights to Nigeria as a result of the airline’s alleged deployment of faulty and substandard aircraft to Nigerian routes.

The firm noted that it would file a class action against the airline if the practice were not checkmated. The letter addressed to the Customer Relations department of the airline in London, was also forwarded to the Nigerian Aviation Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chairman of National Assembly, British Embassy, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

In the letter, the firm noted that hundreds of Nigerian passengers have experienced untold hardship following frequent delays and cancellations of their flights owing to technical faults of the aircraft used on the Nigerian routes.

On August 29, 2024, at Heathrow Airport, Nigerians in an Abuja-bound British Airways flight were disembarked after three hours of check-in and later crammed into low-class hotels without any definite date or time for their departure.

“Specifically, there have been multiple instances where our clients, (Nigerian passengers) have experienced significant delays and disruptions due to the use of faulty or substandard aircraft,” the letter reads, adding that these frequent technical faults raise safety concerns, traumatise passengers, particularly children and create the impression of routes noteworthy of respect.

The firm said it is disheartening to observe that British Airways uses modern, well-maintained aircraft for flights to other countries, while the Nigerian routes seem to be plagued with aircraft that are technically challenged and prone to faults.

“Surprisingly, Nigerian routes are the most expensive when compared to other international routes, yet our clients are being mistreated and disrespected repeatedly,” it stated, demanding compensation for the affected Nigerians.