Skyway Aviation Handling Company PLC (SAHCO) has compensated Tolulope Adeniran, an Abuja resident, with N100,000 after her luggage was damaged during a flight from Abuja to Kwara State. The compensation came after a two-month delay, following a complaint she filed regarding the damage.
Adeniran, who flew with Overland Airways on June 5, discovered that one of her bags was damaged and missing a wheel when she arrived at the General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport in Ilorin. She immediately filed a complaint at the airport but received no response from SAHCO for two months.
The situation changed after the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) reached out to Overland Airways on WhatsApp regarding the matter. Less than two weeks later, SAHCO contacted Adeniran and offered to pay her N100,000 as compensation for the damaged bag.
On Monday, Adeniran confirmed to FIJ that the SAHCO manager had reached out to her and arranged the payment. “I sent my account number to him, and he said he and others would contribute the money and pay me by Wednesday,” she said. By 4:50 pm that day, Adeniran had received the payment and expressed her gratitude to FIJ for their involvement.
“If not for FIJ, the matter would have been ignored and completely swept under the carpet. May the FIJ team be empowered to do more,” she said.
Adeniran had initially reported the issue to FIJ in July, explaining that her bag was damaged during the flight and that she had filled out a complaint form at the airport. Despite several follow-ups, including providing an estimated cost of N110,000 for the damaged bag, she received little response from the airline until FIJ intervened.
After FIJ contacted Overland Airways on July 30, the company replied, stating that they were in discussions with the customer and could not divulge further information. However, the same day, Adeniran received a follow-up from the airline, and by August 5, she was informed that her case would be handled by SAHCO, which eventually led to the compensation.
FIJ has a history of reporting cases involving lost or damaged luggage, cancelled flights, and other irregularities at airports, often resulting in restitution for affected passengers.
