A Nigerian family has urged Kenya Airways Limited to pay $1 million as general damages and compensation over an allegedly botched Christmas trip involving their daughter, a “minor.”
The family, represented by Donald Ibebuike of the Creed & Brooks Partners law firm, addressed the airline in a letter dated December 21, 2024.
The firm accused the airline of allegedly exposing the entire family of its client (Akhanememeh Joseph Osikhena) to unplanned expenditure and disruption of family plans following the botched trip of their daughter (a minor).
Allegations by Creed & Brooks
- According to the letter addressed to the Managing Director of Kenya Airways Ltd in Lagos and copied to the airline’s Nairobi office, the family purchased and was issued return tickets for their trip by the airline through Wakanow.com Ltd. on August 31, 2024.
- The family intended to take the trip to celebrate Christmas and New Year together, visit friends and close relatives across the United Kingdom, and explore tourist attractions and historical monuments before departing the UK for Nigeria on January 5, 2025.
- The lawyer added that in line with the planned itinerary, the client and his family began their UK trip at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on December 16, 2024.
- He stated that the travel documents of his client and his family members, including the minor (Ms. Gabriella Ikhianosimeh Akhanemeh), were duly checked by Kenya Airways in Lagos, and they were issued with boarding passes for the flight to Heathrow, London, with a stopover at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, before proceeding to London Heathrow.
- However, he added, the airline allegedly refused to allow the minor to board its airplane at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, citing “clerical errors” on her travel document, which had already been processed and accepted in Lagos, Nigeria, by the airline.
“Apparently, the passport numbers referenced as accompanying the parents were inadvertently and incorrectly entered by one digit each, but the names were correctly stated by the UK Border Agency.
“Our client’s passport was entered as B51136799 instead of B51136299, and that of his wife was entered as BO1195832 instead of BO2195832 in his daughter’s visa.”
“Given that our client’s daughter, Ms. Gabriella Ikhianosimeh Akhanemeh, is a minor and in order to attend to her bruised emotions and psychological stability, our client had to discontinue his journey while his wife, Mrs. Rita Nwamaka Akhanemeh, continued and completed her trip to London Heathrow with their other two children, Ms. Brenda Ekhaosi Akhanemeh and Mr. Jordan Eghoghor Akhanemeh,” the letter reads in part.
- The lawyer contended that the airline should not have abandoned the family’s daughter halfway, regardless of the clerical errors, as the family had been cleared by the airline’s Nigerian office.
- He added that the airline insisted his client and his daughter return to Nigeria.
- Ibebuike further claims that the airline advised his client and his daughter to pay over $4,000 before they could be returned to Lagos, Nigeria, describing the development as an alleged “infamous and ill-conceived decision,” which exposed his client to unplanned expenditure and trauma in Nairobi, Kenya.
“Take notice that, owing to this and other associated reasons, our client has instructed us to demand and we hereby demand that you immediately continue and complete our client and Ms. Gabriella Ikhianosimeh Akhanemeh’s journey to London Heathrow, or return them to Lagos, Nigeria, at no cost, without any delay, and pay damages and reparation to him, his daughter, and the entire family in the sum of USD 1,000,000.00 (One Million United States Dollars) within seven (7) days of receipt of this letter,” the letter demands.
The law firm urged the airline to comply with its demands in the interest of justice.
Nairametrics contacted Kenya Airways for a response, but the airline had not replied at the time of publishing this report.
What You Should Know
- Flight cancellation allegations are common issues associated with airline operations within and outside Nigeria, often leading to a number of court cases.
- For instance, a Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered Qatar Airways to pay an ex-lawmaker, Honourable Chukwuemeka Ujam, a refund of $3,000 and N4.8 million in exemplary damages and costs for canceling his business class flight to the United States.
- Recently, regional blocs like ECOWAS approved an increased rate of compensation for passengers whose flights are canceled or delayed across member states.