A group of 39 passengers, led by international human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe, have petitioned the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, over an incident involving Ibom Air.
The passengers allege that on Sunday, their 3pm flight Q1554 from Lagos to Abuja was delayed for over five hours because a VIP commandeered the aircraft for personal travel to a different destination.
In their petition, the passengers are demanding that the Minister:
1. Investigate the alleged seizure of the commercial passenger aircraft for the private use of an individual, stranding the paying passengers. They note that while “VIP movement” delays are common for security reasons, the misuse of a passenger plane in this manner is unacceptable.
2. Compensate passengers who incurred extra charges due to the disruption. Some passengers had to pay rebooking fees after missing earlier flights or being moved to the delayed flight involuntarily.
3. Provide general compensation to all affected passengers, citing recent statements by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) affirming passengers’ rights to compensation for flight delays and cancellations. The passengers are also seeking aggravated damages from Ibom Air for the alleged gross abuse.
4. Sanction Ibom Air if the investigation proves the airline stranded dozens of passengers to cater to the travel of a Nigerian “big man.” The petition references a 1996 incident where a sports minister allegedly delayed a national soccer team’s return to prioritize his own travel comfort.
The petitioners are urging the Minister, as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, to advocate for justice for air travelers, noting recent actions by U.S. authorities against an airline for mistreatment of passengers. They are calling for similar penalties against Ibom Air as deemed appropriate.
Ibom Air has not yet commented on the allegations.