The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 2 for continuation of hearing in a suit filed against British Airways by a passenger, Mr. Amechi Michael, over the alleged loss of his carry-on luggage during an international trip.
At the resumed proceedings, the plaintiff was cross-examined by defence counsel, Mr. John Godwin, who appeared on behalf of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Folorunsho Majiyagbe.
During the hearing, Amechi told the court that he initially reported the incident to the airline’s customer care service and was later referred to the UK-based Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution for arbitration.
According to the plaintiff, the arbitral process resulted in compensation relating to the delayed flight but did not address the issue of the allegedly missing carry-on luggage.
He informed the court that he rejected the arbitral award on the grounds that it failed to resolve the central dispute concerning the missing bag, prompting him to seek redress before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Amechi argued that the airline owed him a duty of care after a cabin crew member allegedly requested that the bag be handed over for safekeeping during a delayed boarding process. He further alleged that the airline’s personnel acted negligently by failing to return the luggage after the flight.
Counsel to the plaintiff, Ms. Abiola Olaitan and Mr. Shuaib O. Hammed of Parvina Partners, informed the court of their intention to close the plaintiff’s case.
Presiding judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, subsequently adjourned the matter until July 2 for the defence to open its case and continuation of trial.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1293/2025, seeks the recovery of the plaintiff’s carry-on luggage allegedly lost while in the custody of the airline.
Court filings indicated that the dispute arose during an international journey in which the plaintiff claimed his hand luggage was collected by airline personnel during a delayed boarding process with assurances that it would be safely returned upon arrival.
However, the luggage was allegedly not returned after the flight, leading to repeated complaints to the airline and subsequent dispute resolution efforts.
The matter later proceeded to arbitration after the passenger was referred to the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, a mechanism commonly used by international airlines to handle customer complaints outside the courtroom.
Although the arbitration reportedly awarded compensation connected to the delayed flight, the plaintiff maintained that the issue of the missing carry-on luggage remained unresolved, resulting in the ongoing legal action.
The case adds to growing concerns among Nigerian air travellers over passenger rights, airline accountability and compensation claims involving delayed flights, lost baggage and customer service disputes within the international aviation sector.
