On Friday, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) publicly accused Qatar Airways of unlawfully detaining a Nigerian traveler for 18 hours based on unsubstantiated claims of sexual misconduct involving a cabin crew member.
Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, shared on his X account that a female flight attendant alleged that during the boarding process of a flight from Lagos to the United States via Doha, a Nigerian male passenger traveling with his wife inappropriately touched her.
Achimugu explained that the cabin crew member did not report the incident while still in Lagos. However, upon arrival in Doha, the passenger was apprehended and held for approximately 18 hours.
Furthermore, the airline reportedly refused to allow the passenger to continue to his final destination, compelling him to purchase a new ticket on a different airline, resulting in significant financial loss and damage to his reputation.
“Qatar Airways has acted as if Nigerian travelers and the NCAA do not merit respect, dignified treatment, or adherence to Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023. This conduct will be halted immediately,” Achimugu stated.
He reiterated the sequence of events: “The cabin crew member claimed that while assisting a passenger during boarding, the Nigerian man traveling with his spouse allegedly touched her inappropriately. She withheld this complaint in Lagos but raised it upon arrival in Doha, leading to his arrest and detention for nearly eighteen hours.”
During this ordeal, the passenger’s wife endured severe emotional and psychological distress without any support, questioning how her husband could have committed such an act given she was present throughout boarding.
The NCAA spokesperson also revealed that the detained passenger was coerced into signing a document written solely in Arabic, a language he did not understand, while the airline’s country manager declined to meet with NCAA officials despite invitations.
“Authorities in Doha imposed a substantial fine on the passenger and forced him to sign an Arabic-only document. Desperate to continue his journey to the US, he complied without comprehending the contents. Yet, Qatar Airways refused to transport him onward, forcing him to incur additional expenses by booking another airline,” Achimugu disclosed.
He added, “The airline’s country manager, known for avoiding NCAA meetings, sent subordinates instead. Despite this, the NCAA made decisions on this and other related issues. Qatar Airways has consistently ignored these rulings and failed to address further complaints escalated by the NCAA, including ignoring a formal Letter of Investigation. This pattern of disregard must end.”
Achimugu acknowledged that some nations lack robust aviation ncaa-flight-incident/” title=”Ibom Air … Comfort Emmanson Confronts … Panel Over Heated … Altercation”>consumer protection frameworks, which sometimes leads airlines, especially national carriers from those countries, to dismiss Nigeria’s regulatory authority.
“Such behavior is unacceptable here. It is illegal for any airline to ignore the NCAA, provide false information, or violate Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023. Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) must be honored by all parties. Airlines authorized to operate in Nigeria are expected to fully comply with our consumer protection laws,” he emphasized.
“It is unacceptable for airlines to respect regulations in Europe or elsewhere while blatantly disregarding Nigerian laws. This must be decisively stopped,” Achimugu concluded.
He further noted that the NCAA’s consumer protection division safeguards both passengers and airlines. Director General of Civil Aviation, Captain Chris Najomo, has taken a firm stance on these issues and will enforce stringent penalties on non-compliant carriers.
“Similarly, Royal Air Maroc and Saudi Airlines have been warned about violations and will face severe sanctions if they fail to adhere to NCAA rulings,” he affirmed.
