Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has publicly called out Air France for leaving several Nigerian passengers stranded in Lome, Togo, after their flight was diverted due to bad weather.
Keyamo took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle to share a video of the aggrieved passengers demanding justice from the airline.
According to the minister, the flight from Paris to Abuja was diverted to Lome on Thursday, February 26, after poor weather conditions made landing in Abuja impossible. However, the situation took a frustrating turn when the airline reportedly made plans to leave the passengers in Lome till the next day — even though the same flight was scheduled to return to Abuja to pick up new passengers that night.
Keyamo’s Statement
Expressing his displeasure, the minister wrote:
“I am told that the flight from Paris bound for Abuja could not land due to the bad weather in Abuja this evening (Thursday). The flight then diverted to Lome. However, the confounding situation now is that instead of bringing the passengers back to Abuja after the storm subsided, there are plans to leave them in Lome till tomorrow, even when that same flight will return to Abuja tonight to pick passengers.”
He further disclosed that he had directed the Director of Air Transport Management to call the Country Manager of Air France. He also personally reached out to the airline, insisting that the stranded passengers must be either flown back to Abuja or provided with top-notch accommodations in line with international standards.
Nigerians React 🔥
The incident has sparked outrage online, with many Nigerians applauding Keyamo for standing up for the passengers.
@AyoBankole wrote:
“Airlines treating Nigerians like second-class citizens is unacceptable. Well done, Keyamo!”
@MissPearl_ added:
“If not for social media, they would have left those passengers to suffer in Lome without compensation.”
Watch Video Below 🎥👇
📍 Click Here to Watch
What’s your take on this situation? Should Air France face sanctions for this treatment? 🚨
