By Lukman Olabiyi
The Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Alexander Owoeye has fixed October 22 for the hearing of a lawsuit filed by a security expert, Alhaji Ahmed Rabiu against Virgin Atlantic Airways over alleged breach of contract and the loss of his luggage.
The hearing, initially set for Friday, was adjourned because the airline failed to file its defence within time.
In the suit, Rabiu is seeking $4,000 to cover the value of items lost in his luggage, N20 million in damages for distress, inconvenience, and legal fees incurred while trying to recover his luggage, which allegedly disappeared on a Virgin Atlantic Airways flight from London to Lagos on September 24, 2024.
The plaintiff had also told the court that, contrary to the airline’s claims, he was neither compensated for his lost luggage nor was it replaced.
He also argued in his statement of claim that his lawsuit is valid and well founded, as the defendant has not denied that he lost his luggage while using their airline.
In its defence, the airline blamed its inability to trace and locate the plaintiff’s luggage on his failure to provide adequate information on the Property Irregularity Form given to him after he reported the loss.
The defendant also stated in its statement of defence that the plaintiff’s allegations of fraud, recklessness, and negligence against the airline, its staff, and its agents are false.
In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, the passenger averred that he boarded flight No. CNY3JV from London-Heathrow, United Kingdom, to Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos. He noted that after undergoing rigorous security checks; he was properly checked in, along with his tagged prime luggage, by the defendant’s operational staff.
Leave a comment