The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 2 for continuation of hearing in a suit filed by a passenger, Mr. Amechi Michael, against British Airways over alleged missing carry-on luggage.
At the resumed hearing, the plaintiff was cross-examined by defence counsel, Mr. John Godwin, who held the brief of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Folorunsho Majiyagbe.
During cross-examination, Amechi told the court that he reported the incident to the airline’s customer care service and was subsequently referred to the UK-based Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution for resolution.
According to him, the arbitrator issued an award in his favour regarding the delayed flight but did not address the issue of the allegedly missing carry-on luggage.
The plaintiff further informed the court that he rejected the arbitral award because he was dissatisfied with the outcome and thereafter approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking redress over the alleged loss of the luggage.
Amechi argued that the airline owed him a duty of care to return the luggage and alleged that members of the airline’s staff acted negligently after a cabin crew member reportedly requested that the bag be handed over for safekeeping during a delayed boarding process.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Ms. Abiola Olaitan and Mr. Shuaib O. Hammed of Parvina Partners, informed the court of their intention to close the plaintiff’s case.
Presiding judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, subsequently adjourned the matter until July 2 for the defence to open its case and continuation of trial.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1293/2025, seeks recovery of the plaintiff’s carry-on luggage allegedly lost while in the custody of the airline.
The case stems from an international trip during which the plaintiff alleged that his hand luggage was taken from him by airline personnel during a delayed boarding process with assurances that it would be kept safely and returned upon arrival.
However, according to court filings, the luggage was allegedly not returned after the flight, prompting repeated complaints to the airline and subsequent dispute resolution efforts.
The dispute later moved to the arbitration stage after the passenger was referred to the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in the United Kingdom, a mechanism frequently used by international airlines to handle customer complaints outside the courtroom.
While the arbitration process reportedly awarded compensation connected to the delayed flight, the plaintiff maintained that the core issue relating to the missing carry-on luggage remained unresolved, leading to the present legal action before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The suit is one of several recent cases highlighting growing concerns among Nigerian air travellers over passenger rights, airline accountability and compensation claims involving delayed flights, lost baggage and customer care disputes within the international aviation sector.
