ABUJA, Nigeria — The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its joint committee on Aviation and Foreign Affairs to investigate allegation of ‘dehumanising and maltreatment’ meted on the Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar and other Nigerians by British Airways, Ethiopian Airline and their immigration officials.
The House took the decision following a spiral complains of ill treatment of Nigerians by foreign airlines and specifically took exception to the recent ill-treatment of the Sultan and his entourage as well as on one Ayodeji Omotade by the British Airways. The Sultan and his entourage were reportedly barred from boarding the British Airways by the crews at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja after waiting for several hours with no cogent reason.
Rep Abass Braimah (PDP, Edo State) in a motion supported by 59 others described the spate humiliating treatment of Nigerians by these foreign airlines as a show of disrespect for Nigerians and the country.
“The Sultan’s offence was that he did not subject himself to the humiliation of scampering along with other passengers; ticket and boarding pass in hand, to queue at the boarding point. I wonder whether the Brisitish Airways can treat the Queen of England or the King of Saudi Arabia the way they treated the Sultan”.
He also accused the British Immigration of discriminatory practice and unusual highhandedness against Nigerians at home and abroad”.
