Court orders British Airways to pay Nigerian passenger N53m for breach of contract

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered British Airways to compensate a Nigerian passenger, Mr Stephen Osho, with N50 million in damages for breach of contract and unfair treatment.

Delivering judgment, Justice Ibrahim Kala held that Osho endured unnecessary hardship, inconvenience, and financial losses due to the airline’s negligence.

The court also awarded N3 million in litigation costs, covering legal fees, summons charges, and other expenses incurred over the prolonged duration of the case, as well as the impact of naira depreciation, bringing total compensation to N53 million.

Justice Kala noted that Osho successfully established that the airline 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.

In its defence, British Airways argued that Osho was responsible for his own predicament and urged the court to dismiss the claim. The airline’s counsel also insisted that, if any costs were to be awarded, they should not exceed N60.

The judge, however, dismissed the submission as baseless and inconsistent with the evidence presented before the court.

Court orders British Airways to pay Nigerian passenger N53m for breach of contract