The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched an investigation into alleged mistreatment of more than 200 Nigeria‑bound passengers by German carrier Lufthansa Airlines. The disclosure was made in Lagos by Mr. Sam Adurogboye, General Manager of Public Affairs at the NCAA. He said the agency received a report that a Frankfurt‑Lagos flight, scheduled to arrive at Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 5:45 p.m. last Friday, instead landed at 2 a.m. after being diverted to Cotonou, Benin, and later to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The aircraft reportedly hovered over Lagos airport for an hour before departing for Cotonou. Upon arrival in Lagos at 2 a.m., passengers asked the airline to arrange accommodation, but the carrier allegedly threatened to call the police on them. There were also claims that Lagos airport was not closed, contrary to the pilot’s statement.
Adurogboye confirmed that the report reached the aviation regulator and that an investigation is now underway. “I just got our Consumer Department and was told the report came in today, so we are beginning our investigation,” he said.
Industry stakeholders have condemned Lufthansa’s handling of the situation. Flight LH566, which departed Frankfurt for Lagos as a direct service, was diverted to Cotonou and then to Malabo for unclear reasons. The flight, carrying over 200 passengers—only about 15 of whom were bound for Malabo—was scheduled to arrive in Lagos at 5:45 p.m. on 3 March 2023 before proceeding to Equatorial Guinea’s capital.
Group Captain John Ojikutu, an aviation stakeholder, expressed concern: “It’s been about six days since we heard of a Lufthansa flight diverting to Cotonou because the Lagos airport was supposedly closed, according to the pilot. No other airline has made such a diversion, and neither NAMA nor the NCAA has addressed the safety implications.” He added that his UK technical partners contacted him to discuss the incident, likening it to a past hijacking of an Egyptian airline diverted to Malta. Ojikutu urged the NCAA to report the matter to ICAO and IATA and to sanction the airline. He also called for coordination with NAMA, noting that upcoming ICAO and FAA/TSA audits this year are likely to focus on such issues.
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