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Nigeria aviation authority, Kenya airline disagree over alleged mal treatment of Nigerian passenger at Nairobi airport

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.

Penpushing reports that 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”., as relayed in a viral video

The video on Monday showed a representative of Kenya Airways in a verbal exchange with a Nigerian passenger who had arrived in Nairobi, while the Kenya airways official told the Nigerian passenger that she would not be allowed to fly Kenya Airways again.

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Penpushing further reports that Omisore in response, 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. You will not fly on the Kenya Airways. You will never enter our airline again; call your president, call the Nigerian president. We are not going to give you anything. You are not going to fly on our airways again’, the airline agent  declared to Omisore.

Penpushing also reports that the Nigerian was heard in the video 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.

The Nigerian government while reacting on the development on Monday via a tweet by  the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Tunde Moshood said attention of the authorities had been drawn to several cases of inhuman treatment to its citizens

“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.

Penpushing reports that in similar vein, spokesperson of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, in another tweet on his X page on Monday, declared that if the Nigerian passenger was not airlifted to her final destination within a couple of hours, there will be ramifications.

“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 emphasised.

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

Penpushing further reports that Achimugu said there is a long history of maltreatment of Nigerian passengers, including staffers of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (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 stated.

Penpushing also reports that 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 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’, Achimugu said.

Penpushing reports that spokesperson of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) argued that the statements made by the Kenya Airways agent were inappropriate for someone in the industry, pointing out a statement credited to the Kenya airline official asking the Nigerian passenger to call president of her country insinuates a lot.

The spokesperson he added, 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.

Penpushing further reports that the management of the Kenya Airlines in reaction explained that 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.

The statement posted on official X page, explained that that Omisore was offered an alternative to travel through London and onward to Manchester, but she refused, adding that upon further investigation, the airline established that the video does not provide full context.

“Upon further investigation, we have established that the video does not provide full context. Unhappy with the option of traveling through London, Kenya Airways, Omisore demanded accommodation, which Kenya Airways does not provide in cases where boarding is denied due to visa requirements’, the airline said.

“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”, Kenya airline stated

“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’.

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