NCAA fumes over treatment of Nigerian passenger at Nairobi airport

Officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Management of Kenya Airways have disagreed over an alleged case of inhuman treatment of a Nigerian passenger at the Nairobi airport by Kenya Airways officials.

This is against the backdrop of a viral video that made the rounds on social media on Monday. The video shows a representative of Kenya Airways in a verbal exchange with a Nigerian passenger who had arrived in Nairobi.

The passenger, identified as “Gloria Ibukun Omisore” was allegedly attempting to connect to her subsequent flight to Paris but was prevented from doing so due to “visa issues”.

In the video, a Kenya Airways agent told the Nigerian passenger (Ms Omisore) that she would not be allowed to fly Kenya Airways again. In response, Ms Omisore said she was on the phone with Nigeria’s finance minister, but the visibly angry agent of Kenya Airways said she could call the Nigerian president if she deemed it necessary.

“Call the president of Nigeria. Call the president of Nigeria,” she retorted, repeatedly pointing a finger at Ms Omisore.

“You will not fly on the Kenya Airways. You will never enter our airline again; call your president, call the Nigerian president,” the airline agent added. “We are not going to give you anything. You are not going to fly on our airways again.”

In the video, Ms Omisore was heard complaining about a 17-hour delay, fuming that she needed a sanitary towel and that she should be offered accommodation and food. But she was left unattended to.

“I need a sanitary towel. You will give me food tonight,” she said.

Nigeria authorities react

In a tweet on Monday, Tunde Moshood, the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, posted the video saying: “Our attention has been drawn to several cases of inhuman treatments of Nigerian passengers in Nairobi by @KenyaAirways. A case of Ms Omisore G. who flew from Manchester to Lagos, connecting-Man-CDG-NBO-LOS, only to be denied boarding in Nairobi on the 2nd leg of the same ticket,” he said.

Similarly, the NCAA spokesman, Michael Achimugu, in another tweet on his X page on Monday, said: “Dear @KenyaAirways, if Ms Gloria Ibukun Omisore is not airlifted safely to her final destination within a couple of hours, there will be ramifications.

“There are limits that must not be crossed and, in 2025, you will treat Nigerian passengers better,” he added.

Kenya airways react

In response to the incident, the management of the Kenya Airlines explained in a statement posted on its official X page, that the guest (Ms Omisore) was travelling from Lagos to Nairobi, Paris, and Manchester and that on arrival in Nairobi for her connecting flight (Nairobi-Paris), it was discovered that she did not have a SCHENGEN Visa, which is a requirement for her to enter any European Union Country.

According to the statement, she was offered an alternative to travel through London and onward to Manchester, but she refused.

“Upon further investigation, we have established that the video does not provide full context,” the airline said.

Unhappy with the option of traveling through London, Kenya Airways said Ms Omisore demanded accommodation, which Kenya Airways does not provide in cases where boarding is denied due to visa requirements.

“It is the responsibility of passengers to ensure they have the necessary documentation for their journey.

“In a distressing turn of events, the guest resorted to inappropriate behaviour by removing and throwing 3 used sanitary pads at our employees. We strongly condemn such conduct”.

The airline said: “While we remain committed to delivering exceptional service, we expect all interactions to be based on mutual respect. Our employees deserve to work in a safe and dignified environment, and we do not tolerate any abuse from our employees or guests.“

It said the incident has been reported and is under investigation by the relevant security agencies. The airline is committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure the well-being and safety of employees and guests at all times.

NCAA intervention

In subsequent tweets, Mr Achimugu stated that airlines need to improve their passenger handling.

“An airline hiring social media influencers to throw narratives around is a red flag,” he said.

The official said “open skies for the continent can only work when we have agreed to handle passengers from the continent the right way.

“This is not war. It is imperative that we do things the right way. When you get called out for doing the wrong thing, the best response isn’t always to grandstand.”

Historical context

In his response to the airline on Monday, Mr Achimugu said there is a long history of maltreatment of Nigerian passengers, including staffers of the NCAA, by Kenya Airways.

“I have advised the passenger that unruly behaviour is inexcusable at any airport and she can be blacklisted by the airline, and even pay fines. The NCAA does not condone unruly behaviour,” he said.

Mr Achimugu said there is no basis for the airline to have tried to delete her video forcefully and that the airline should not have allowed her (Ms Omisore) to board the flight from Nigeria if she was not qualified due to visa requirements.

”You issued her boarding passes and let her leave Lagos. She flew into Nigeria via your airline on the same route. She claims to have called the airline before paying for the ticket, and she was told that she was qualified since she owns a BRP,” Mr Achimugu said.

He argued that the statements made by the Kenya Airways agent were inappropriate for someone in the industry.

“Call your president insinuates a lot,” he added, stating that the agency will be asked to provide CCTV footage showing that she threw her used sanitary towels at their staff rather than place them on the table when asked by their personnel to provide evidence that she was bleeding.

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At about 6:00 p.m. Nigerian time, Mr Achimugu said Ms Omisore had safely boarded a Kenyan Airways flight heading back to Lagos, Nigeria.

He said she would be received by NCAA Consumer Protection Officers upon arrival at about 10 p.m. tonight.

“The Authority will meet with the passenger tomorrow to be advised on proper conflict resolution protocols per future flights. Regardless of extreme provocation from airline personnel, unruly behaviour is not permitted at the airport or on the aircraft,” Mr Achimugu said.