Nigerian airline, Dana Air Limited, has been hit with a N550m suit over the alleged discrimination against a physically challenged passenger, Gloria Nwogbo.
Dragged before Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Enugu, a civil society organisation, Disability Rights Protection Initiative, accused the airline of denying Nwogbo who was in possession of her ticket and boarding pass, from boarding its airline at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on August 5, 2021, on the grounds that she was disabled.
The PUCNH reported that the group is demanding an apology and a N550m compensation for the alleged discrimination against Nwogbo, a native of Awka in the Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, as they appear in court on Tuesday.
The applicant, in the suit, marked FHC/EN/CS/181/2021 and filed by her lawyer, Kelechi Chukwu, obtained on Monday, asked the court to declare that the action of the respondent in refusing and denying Nwogbo from boarding and/or accessing their airline on the grounds that she was disabled “was inhuman, degrading and discriminatory.”
The applicant also asked the court to declare that the terms and conditions of the respondent’s air ticket, which states that “special passengers: wheelchair (WCHR) and visually-impaired (Blind) passengers cannot travel without an accompanied person, we are always happy to serve WCHR and Blind passengers but they cannot travel unaccompanied,” was discriminatory and contrary to Section 42(2) of the Constitution as amended, and therefore illegal, unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void.
Other reliefs are, “an order of this honourable court directing the respondent to pay the sum of N50m only as exemplary damages to the applicant for the inhuman, degrading and discriminatory treatment meted out to the applicant.
“An order of this honourable court directing the respondent to pay the sum of N500m only as general damages to the applicant for the shame, shock, public ridicule and psychological trauma suffered by the applicant as a result of the inhuman, degrading and discriminatory treatment meted out to the applicant.
“An injunction restraining the respondent, whether by themselves, their servants, officers, agents or privies, in any manner whatsoever from further discriminating against the applicant on the basis that she is a disabled person.
“An order of this honourable court directing the respondent to refund the sum of N28,800 only to the applicant being the sum paid as the airfare by the applicant to the respondent.”
