NCAA Condemns Qatar Airways Over Alleged Unlawful Detention of Nigerian Passenger in Doha

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has strongly criticized Qatar Airways for what it described as the unfair and unlawful treatment of a Nigerian passenger who was detained in Doha under questionable circumstances.

Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, issued a statement via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, outlining the incident and warning of impending sanctions against the airline.

According to Achimugu, the passenger — who was traveling to the United States with his wife — was accused by a Qatar Airways cabin crew member of inappropriate conduct during boarding at Lagos airport. The alleged incident, however, was not reported until the couple arrived in Doha for a layover.

“A member of this airline’s cabin crew claimed that, while she was wheeling a passenger during boarding, a male passenger travelling with his wife had touched her inappropriately,” Achimugu said. “She did not report this incident in Lagos. On arrival in Doha, she made the allegation, leading to the man’s arrest and detention for about eighteen hours.”

During his detention, the passenger’s wife reportedly suffered severe emotional and psychological distress, with no support or assistance provided by the airline. Achimugu noted that the detained passenger was allegedly forced to sign a document written solely in Arabic — a language he could not understand — and was made to pay a hefty fine.

“Desperate for freedom to proceed on his journey to the US, the passenger signed a document whose contents he did not understand,” Achimugu stated.

Despite complying with these conditions, Qatar Airways reportedly refused to fly the passenger to his final destination, forcing him to purchase a new ticket on another airline — incurring further financial and reputational damage.

The NCAA spokesperson also criticized the airline for what he described as consistent disregard for Nigerian passengers and the authority’s regulations.

“Qatar Airways has carried on as though Nigerian passengers and the NCAA are not deserving of their respect, dignified treatment, and compliance with Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023,” he wrote.

Achimugu revealed that the NCAA had summoned Qatar Airways’ country manager for clarification but alleged that the manager frequently avoids such meetings, sending subordinates instead.

In addition to this case, the NCAA cited multiple unresolved complaints lodged against Qatar Airways by other Nigerian passengers, accusing the airline of systemic non-compliance and poor customer service.

Achimugu warned that the NCAA will no longer tolerate such behavior from any foreign airline operating in Nigeria, stressing that heavy sanctions will be imposed on carriers found in violation of aviation laws and consumer protection guidelines.

“All future non-compliance by airlines will be dealt with accordingly,” he concluded.