A Nigerian passenger, Mr. Stephen Osho, has been awarded N50 million in damages against British Airways.
The Federal High Court in Lagos ordered British Airways to pay the sum to Mr Osho for breach of contract and unfair treatment.
According to Justice Ibrahim Kala, Osho suffered undue hardship, inconvenience, and financial loss as a result of British Airways’ conduct.
The court further awarded N3 million as costs of the action, citing the expenses incurred, the protracted duration of the case, legal representation, summons fees, and the declining value of the naira, bringing the total compensation to N53m.
Justice Kala maintained that the passenger successfully proved that the airline had violated its obligations under the international contract of carriage when it failed to deliver his checked baggage on Flight BA307 from Paris to London on December 2, 2022.
The airline, in its defence, argued that Osho should be blamed for his own predicament and urged the court not to award compensation.
However, the court dismissed the argument by the airline’s counsel as untenable in light of the facts before it.
