This is not a palatable moment for the management of Arik Airline, as the airline may be facing a serious legal tussle with one of the popular music acts in Nigeria, Doctor Rotimi Onimole popularly known as Oba Ara.
According to the information made available to us by Oba Ara’s solicitor, Barrister Greg Aghedo of Greg Aghedo And Associates hinted that the Arik Airline failed in her responsibility to lift one Mr Taiwo Abayomi Joseph, intending passenger of the airline from Abuja to Lagos on 17th Day of May, 2023 who was sponsored by Oba Ara.
The information at our disposal hinted further that the boy was left stranded at the airport and no member of staff of Arik Airline shown sympathy to him even when he approached them that he has nowhere to sleep for that night, rather to offer him assistance, they turned him to laughing stock and the boy was highly embarrassed and dejected due to the unruly behaviour of Arik Airline officials .
We also gathered that Abayomi was supposed to meet his doctor in Lagos because of the state of his health but he was attended to in Abuja by a local doctor after he suffered a serious health challenge in Abuja, he was highly lucky to survive the sudden relapsed of his serious health issue.
To save the situation and get himself out of the trouble created for him by Arik Airline, Abayomi had to put in a call to his sponsor, Oba Ara, another unbudgeted money was sent to him to book for a hotel till the following day.
We also gathered that Oba Ara’s lawyer has sent a letter of complaint and pre-action notice of bad treatment meted on his ward by Arik Airline to the management of the airline and the award winning music star is demanding for Ten millions Naira as general damages.
We also learnt that the response of the Arik after they were served letter of complaint by Oba Ara’s solicitor was absurd and highly ridiculous
Part of the complaint sent to Arik Airline by Barrister Greg Aghedo read thus ‘ We write on behalf of Mr. Rotimi Onimole hereinafter called our client. Our client is a guardian, sponsor, and stands as parent to one Mr. Taiwo Abayomi Joseph called The ward hereinafter.
The ward was an intending passenger on your airline on the 17th Day of May w3721 /Abuja -Lagos to depart at 8:46 hours, however, to the ward chagrin and shock he was informed by your airline officials that no flight will go to Lagos on said date and time and asking the ward to return next day after rescheduling. This came without any prior notice by the airline.
The ward was left stranded and frustrated and even after explaining to some of airline officials that he had nowhere to put up for a night, rather than official to offer some assistance, they laughed at the ward away without any care or assistance whatsoever and however, our client had to send money to the ward to look for an hotel room to sleep till next day an amount unbudgeted for.
The ward who was on his way to Lagos to meet the family doctor because of his precarious state of health ( he had a health crisis requiring urgent medical attention had to be attended to by local doctor in Abuja FCT same day in the evening to get stabilized and he actually almost slipped into coma, we have record for it.
We are thereby given seven day from the date of your receipt of this letter to pay our client and the ward Ten Millions Naira as a special and general damages caused to our client and the ward, or we approach a court of competent jurisdiction to adjudicate and give justice to our client and the ward. Furthermore, we shall ask to be paid for whatever legal cost our client incurs.’.