A passenger, Ahmed Rabiu, has filed a N26m lawsuit against Virgin Atlantic Airways over his missing luggage while travelling in an aircraft belonging to the airline from London to Lagos.

The passenger who dragged the airline before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos is seeking $4000 (more than N6m) in compensation for the lost luggage and N20m in damages for the distress and inconveniences allegedly caused by the airline’s negligence.

The PUNCH gathered that the legal battle will commence on February 10, 2025.

According to court documents, the passenger, a security expert, checked in his luggage on the airline’s flight No. CNY3JV from London Heathrow to Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos on September 24, 2024.

In an affidavit filed alongside the suit, the passenger averred that he boarded flight No. CNY3JV from London-Heathrow, United Kingdom, to Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos after undergoing rigorous security checks. He was properly checked in, along with his tagged prime luggage, by the defendant’s operational personnel.

However, upon arrival in Lagos, his luggage was nowhere to be found.

He said he waited at the conveyor belt from the moment the baggage carousel was activated until it was switched off and that every other passenger on the flight picked up their luggage and left except him, who became devastated.

The plaintiff noted that he immediately informed the defendant’s staff on the ground, and he was given a Loss of Baggage Form to fill out and submit, which he did immediately, but that the airline neither gave the plaintiff his luggage nor replaced the same or, better still, paid for the value of the contents of his luggage.

Aside from being devastated, The plaintiff described the action of the airline as fraudulent, reckless, and negligent, adding that the actions of the staff led to the disappearance of his newly bought bag used to warehouse all his purchases in London and properly received and tagged in an accident-free flight that landed in Lagos on schedule.

He further stated that the defendant’s failure to deliver his luggage to him upon arrival in Lagos after straining his finances to purchase the defendant’s flight ticket was a huge breach of contract.

Rabiu also claimed that upon the theft and loss of his luggage, he asked his lawyers to write the defendant a demand letter requesting the luggage or payment for the contents of the luggage.

The plaintiff alleged that the defendant did not respond to the letter, and his lawyer, yet again, sent a reminder letter to the defendant, which, again, was not responded to.

He maintained that he had suffered enormous economic losses and emotional distress and that it was in the interest of justice that the court grant his claims.

The plaintiff also averred, “There was neither accident nor armed robbery on the plane from London-Heathrow to Lagos, Nigeria, and there was no reason the plaintiff’s prime luggage could no longer be found upon arrival in Lagos.

“The plaintiff’s luggage was at all material times at the care and control of the defendant’s staff, who ought to exercise maximum care on the plaintiff’s luggage.

“The theft and loss of the Plaintiff’s luggage under the defendant’s custody have caused significant inconvenience and distress, and the contents of the said luggage were precious valuables purchased from Zara stores, Mark and Spencer, Diesel jeans outfit, Primark, Calvin Klein, Puma, and AC & Co for the Plaintiff’s use, his five male children, family, and friends, as well as valuable gift items for the Plaintiff’s boss and colleagues in the office valued over £4000.”

However, Virgin Atlantic Airways had not responded to the suit.

Meanwhile, Justice Alexander Owoeye has fixed February 10, 2025, for the hearing of the suit.