1. Send an e-mail to the CEO of British Airways, Willie Walsh, protesting over this mistreatment. A template letter is provided below:
Mr. Walsh,On the 27th of March 2008 137 passengers boarded flight BA075 bound for Lagos, Nigeria. Unbeknown to the passengers, the British Immigration Authorities were deporting a male Nigerian onboard this flight.
In an attempt to restrain the already cuffed deportee, officers used methods which caused the deportee to shout “I go die o” (meaning: I am going to die). The noise coming from the deportee went on for about 30 minutes to the discomfort of passengers onboard the flight.
Ayodeji Omotade, a passenger concerned for the life of the deportee asked the officers not to “kill him”. In response the deportee and Mr. Omotade were taken off the plane and Mr. Omotade subsequently arrested and detained.
According to the Daily Mirror,
“this outraged the other 135 passengers in the economy class section and they complained to cabin crew.
Then the BA pilot took the extraordinary decision to boot off everyone who had witnessed the arrest of Mr Omotade, an IT consultant from Chatham, Kent.
The captain took the view they were all guilty of disturbing the flight, although no more passengers were arrested.
After the economy class section was virtually cleared, the deportee, aged about 30, was brought back on and the flight left.
The passengers were booked on to later flights but Mr Omotade was told by BA staff he was banned by the airline for life.”
The other passengers were asked to disembark and 136 passengers were prevented from flying majority did not fly that night when the flight finally departed.
When you pay for a flight, you expect to travel in relative comfort and ambience. Mr Omotade and 136 passengers in the economy class of BA flight 0075 had every reason to expect a peaceful and quiet journey.
The passengers were removed from the flight because they had exercised their freedom of speech to complain about the unfair treatment given out to a fellow human.
There have been numerous stories of deaths caused by officers during forced deportations. This deportee might have ended up as another statistic if someone did not speak up. Mr. Omotade did, and he was thrown off the plane and arrested.
There are also numerous accounts of less than acceptable customer service by BA staff to Nigerians on board flights to and from Nigeria. Such treatment must stop.
Therefore, I am calling on BA to do the following:
* Offer an apology to all passengers onboard flight BA0075 bound for Lagos, Nigeria on the 27th March 2008 in a National Nigerian daily newspaper;
* Offer a written apology and appropriate compensation to Mr. Ayo Omotade;
* Lift the life time ban imposed on Mr. Ayo Omotade;
* Issue an undertaking from BA that henceforth such practices will desist. Nigerian passengers will be treated with respect within and outside Nigeria.
If the above are not carried out, I will not be patronising British Airways in the future.
Yours sincerely,
. . . . .
4. Sign the petition protesting this mistreatment here:
Thank you for your co-operation and your action!
