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Security operatives storm Arik, passengers ask for refund
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Security operatives stormed the headquarters of Arik at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.
While security operatives and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) visited the airline, aggrieved passengers of the airline also stormed the airline’s headquarters to demand for the refund of their air ticket fares.
The carrier has been in the news for the wrong reasons in the past six months. It has been embroiled in activities that have affected its reputation.
Just recently, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) hit the airline with N6 million for violation of passengers’ right when the carrier failed to bring in their luggage from London.
The airline is also faced with incessant delays and cancellation of flights due to ‘operational’ reasons.
Security operatives numbering about 12 with their Hiace Toyota buses barricaded the entrance of the airline, thereby prevented people from going in and or coming out of the premises.
As at the time of filing this report, the intention of the security operatives was unclear, but sources close to the airline said that the management might have invited the security operatives to forestall breakdown of law and order by some of the aggrieved passengers’.
As at the time Woleshadare.net visited the airline, some of the security operatives in police uniform were outside the entrance gate while others were inside the building.
At the entrance gate, some of the aggrieved passengers who could not get refund for their cancelled flights stormed the airline, but could not gain entrance into the building.
One of the aggrieved passengers who didn’t give her name, alleged that her N800, 000 ticket funds have been trapped in the airline since December 23, 2016.
She told our correspondent that she bought air tickets for some group of passengers who were supposed to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa with the airline, but the flight was cancelled by the airline, stressing that since then, she has been unable to get refund.
She said: “I have been coming to this place since December last year. I bought tickets for some passengers, who were supposed to travel with the airline the same month, but Arik on their own cancelled the flight and they are supposed to refund me, but they have been tossing me up and down.”
Another aggrieved passenger, who refused to identify himself, said that his N70, 000 has been with the airline since July last year while another female passenger said her ticket fund of N23, 000 has been hanging with the carrier.
Efforts to speak with spokesman for the airline, Mr. Banji Ola proved abortive as he did not pick his call
