Last year, Osamuyi Aikpitanhi (pictured below) was manhandled by Spanish authorities during deportation back to Nigeria. He was handcuffed, gagged, beaten and eventually suffocated to death. It took an uproar from Nigerians in the diaspora as well as prominent citizens in the country for the Spanish government to own up to the wrongful death of the young man.

Last month, another Nigerian who was being deported cried out while being manhandled by four or five officers onboard a BA aircraft. A fellow passenger, Mr. Ayodeji Omotade, after hearing the man’s continual moans and groans for about twenty minutes pleaded with the security men not to kill him.
The deportee was immediately taken off the plane. The officers then returned to arrest Mr. Omotade. He was handcuffed and dragged off the aircraft without being formally charged with anything. When other passengers protested his arrest, the pilot decided to evict all 135 passengers from the economy section of the aircraft!
Mr. Omotade, a British-born IT consultant from Chatham Kent, enroute to Nigeria for his brothers wedding was later charged with affray and accused of involvement in criminal activities. The money he had on, about £1613, which were meant for friends and relatives, was siezed and he was asked to prove they weren’t meant for or acquired through criminal means.
Ten hours later after bail, he returned to the airport and was told his luggages had probably been shipped off to Nigeria in addition to a lifetime ban from BA for being outspoken over the perceived maltreatment. In his own words:
Eventually, one week and one day later, my bags were brought to me at home. One was badly damaged and the other was intact. British Airways delibrately made sure I missed the wedding because if they were kicking me off their flight, they would have removed my bags from the flight. They were all there when the police officers made me to sit on the floor and heard me pleading to allow me fly for my brother’s wedding. I could have made either KLM or Virgin Nigeria the following Friday morning.
I will not want to believe that the authorities involved in the situation deliberately or cleverly punished me unnecessarily out of frustration for not being able to restrain or subdue a deportee or that I as a fee paying passenger was accused of affray with violence when I was voicing my concerns about the disturbances caused by the deportees. I never mentioned any abusive or swear words neither was I physically threatening anyone. My luggage mysteriously was lost and I have been banned on all British Airways flights without a chance to say my part of the story to redeem myself. 135 passengers were asked to leave the flight because they expressed displeasure regarding the disturbances caused by the deportees and the officers trying to restrain him. My ticket was even refused to be endorsed by BA to enable me to fly with another airline. I need full compensation of my loss and also a letter of apology from British Airways.
All protests and petitions have fallen on deaf ears. BA has kept mum about the incident despite calls for the airline to publicly apologize for the ill treatment of the 135 passengers by April 30th or face an allround boycott by Nigerians.
I have flown BA only twice in my life and sworn off it for good! I don’t want to wait to be booted off a flight to know that despite the high patronage by Nigerians, we are not regarded highly enough to be treated equitably. The pilot’s actions was unjustified and uncalled for. BA should apologize and compensate all the affected individuals appropriately; especially Mr. Omotade.
Much as the British govenment and it’s ilk despises us (Nigerians) they realize their dependence on us is crucial. It’s a mutual relationship really, yet, this is one among many inumerable incidences of prejudice and gross human rights violation routinely meted by airline staff on Nigerians. The most recent of which has come under fire is the spraying of disinfectants in all Lagos bound aircrafts. I know China Southern airlines, which I flew with recently, sprays pesticides because of mosquitoes, but I can’t understand why disinfectants should be applied unto passengers in aircrafts unless they are contagion.
The British govenment needs Nigerians. In the post 9/11 season of transatlantic flights decline, the Lagos-London route almost literaly kept BA afloat. Presently there are daily flights from Abuja and Lagos to London respectively.
In Britain both legal and illegal immigrants are a valuable tax-generating asset. The govenment is in a dillemma about tightening immigration laws. On one hand they risk inviting in the wrong type of people, on the other they risk loosing skilled workers. In the current HSMP point system Nigeria is grouped together with Afghanistan. The most unlikely country to be considered at economic parity with Nigeria. There can only be one explanation for the relative mark down; They need Nigerians!
The British HIgh Commission of Nigeria makes millions of Naira from visa applications (on a monthly basis, I dare say). Less then 20% of all applications are successful. For the unsuccessful, their application fees are not refunded. The High Commission generates an absurdly high amout of revenue from application fees alone, all their offices in Nigeria are self-sustained. Consequently they’ve been weaned off financial reliance on the Home Office.
The British High Commision has no qualms about issuing visas to looters and thieves, but when the common man applies they almost have to pry open his mouth and count his teeth to make sure they’re really his and he is not in fact stealing them. Despite this, many will continue to try their luck to migrate to the UK where they can be productive and enjoy the fruits of their productivity. Thousands of students will also apply to study in the UK because of the warped perspective of Nigerian employers who value UK degrees over locally obtained ones.
Needless to say, it’s high time Nigerians demand better treatment in this symbiotic if not equal relationship. We no longer live in collonial times where we have to fear offending the master.
I urge Nigerians to register their protest by contacting the British Airways. You can fill up an online complaint form by clicking Customer Relations. Or call 0844 493 0 787 (UK).
Read also Ayodeji Omotade VS British Airways by Reuben Abati and It’s easy to be snotty with an airline so haughty that it regards it’s customers as an inconvenience by Robert Fisk of the Independent.
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References:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/nigerians-call-for-boycott-of-ba-after-deportation-812649.html
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/index.php/content/view/8937/55
http://www.nigerianmuse.com/nigeriawatch/abati/Ayodeji_Omotade_vs_British_Airways_by_Reuben_Abati
Picture of Osamuyi Aikpitanhi culled from: http://www.ligali.org/article.php?id=1811
http://russellwise.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/nigerians-call-for-boycott-of-ba-after-deportation/