The Federal Excessive Court docket, Lagos has mounted February 27 for the listening to of a swimsuit filed by a safety knowledgeable, Alhaji Ahmed Rabiu, towards Virgin Atlantic Airways over allegations of breach of contract and the lack of baggage on board its London to Lagos flight on September 24, 2024.
The courtroom, which had initially mounted final Monday for the listening to of the swimsuit, adjourned the case as a result of absence of Justice Alexander Owoeye, who was mentioned to be attending an official operate exterior the state.
Within the swimsuit, Rabiu is demanding the sums of $4000 for the worth of the objects contained within the “stolen baggage” and N20 million as damages for the misery, inconvenience and solicitors’ charges incurred whereas recovering the bags.
In an affidavit filed in help of the swimsuit, the passenger averred that he boarded flight No. CNY3JV from London-Heathrow, Britain, to Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos after present process rigorous safety checks. He averred that the Defendant’s operational employees correctly checked him in, alongside together with his tagged prime baggage.
However after the aircraft landed in Lagos, he waited on the conveyor belt from the second it was activated till it was switched off. He defined that whereas each different passenger on the Defendant’s flight picked up their baggage and left, he was left devastated.
The plaintiff additionally maintained that he instantly knowledgeable the Defendant’s employees on the bottom, and he was given a Lack of Baggage Type to fill out and submit, which he did instantly, however that the airline neither gave the Plaintiff his baggage nor changed the identical or higher nonetheless, pay for the worth of the contents of his baggage.
The Plaintiff claimed that he was devastated by the motion of the Defendant’s operational employees, which led to the disappearance of his newly purchased bag used to warehouse all his purchases in London that had been correctly obtained and tagged in an accident-free flight which landed in Lagos on schedule.
He additional acknowledged that the Defendant’s failure to ship his baggage upon arrival in Lagos after straining his funds to buy the flight ticket was an enormous breach of contract.
Rabiu additionally claimed that upon the lack of his baggage, he brought about his attorneys to put in writing the Defendant a requirement letter requesting the bags or fee for the contents. He alleged that the Defendant didn’t reply to the letter, and his lawyer, but once more, despatched a reminder letter, which was not responded to.
The deponent insisted that he had suffered huge financial losses and emotional misery, including that it’s within the curiosity of justice that the courtroom grant his claims.
“The Plaintiff’s baggage was in any respect materials instances on the care and management of the Defendant’s employees, who should train most care.
“The theft and lack of the Plaintiff’s baggage underneath the Defendant’s custody has brought about vital inconvenience and misery, and the contents of the mentioned baggage had been treasured valuables bought from Zara shops, Mark and Spencer, Diesel denims outfit, Primark, Calvin Klein, Puma and AC & Co for the Plaintiff’s use, his 5 male youngsters, household and buddies in addition to helpful reward objects for the Plaintiff’s boss and colleagues within the workplace valued over £4000.
“The Plaintiff shall depend on the Lack of Baggage Type exhibiting the lack of the Plaintiff’s baggage,” he mentioned. Virgin Atlantic Airways had not responded to the swimsuit and was not current in courtroom or represented by a lawyer on the final sitting.
