What began as a routine 8:35 a.m. trip from Abuja to Lagos has turned into a ₦10.18 million legal battle, with a top Nigerian Shippers’ Council director suing Arik Air. After his flight was cancelled without warning, Mr. Anifowoshe has engaged regulators (the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority NCAA) demanding significant compensation for the abrupt, unnotified disruption.
Leading the charge for passenger rights, media expert and NSC Director of Strategic Planning and Research, Rotimi Babatunde Anifowoshe, is demanding ₦10.18m from Arik Air after a chaotic flight cancellation.
Anifowoshe, confirmed the development to Sooth News following the online leak of his legal petition. Acknowledging that he has officially engaged the NCAA Complaints Unit, the director fiercely maintained that his rights as a passenger will not be compromised.
The complainant’s legal team, S.I. Salami & Co., has fired off separate petitions to Arik Air and the NCAA following the sudden cancellation of Flight Q3 721, which was scheduled to depart Abuja for Lagos at 8:35 a.m. on May 21, 2026.
Mr. Anifowoshe had purchased an economy class ticket through travel agency Tramango Limited on May 20 for ₦147,109 and was duly issued a boarding pass for Seat 21C.
According to the petition, the passenger arrived at the airport around 7:45 a.m. on the day of departure, only to discover that the flight had been cancelled without warning.
The petition states no prior notice was given to the passenger or agency, violating Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations on passenger care.
However, the cancellation cost the passenger an 11:00 a.m. Lagos business meeting, racking up ₦10 million in financial damages, missed opportunities, and severe reputational fallout.
In a formal demand letter addressed to the Managing Director of Arik Air, the claimant’s solicitors argued that the ticket purchase and boarding pass issuance constituted a binding contract of carriage.
The legal team maintained that the abrupt cancellation amounted to a clear breach of contract. They further stressed it violated passenger protection clauses enshrined in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations.
The solicitors stressed that regulations require a 24-hour cancellation notice and mandatory passenger care.
The total ₦10,183,886.25 demand covers a ₦147,109 ticket refund, ₦36,777.25 in statutory compensation, and ₦10 million in damages.
Alongside the multi-million naira claims, the solicitors demanded a formal written apology from the carrier.
In a parallel petition to the NCAA’s Consumer Protection Directorate, the passenger urged the regulatory body to intervene and compel Arik Air to comply with the compensation demands. The petition formally requests an investigation into the cancellation to ensure strict enforcement of statutory passenger rights.
Arik Air now has just seven days to pay up or face a fierce legal battle at the Federal High Court. The director’s legal team warned they will sue for breach of contract, negligence, and statutory violations if the airline ignores the deadline.
Sooth News reached out to Arik Air’s support line ( 07000035927)
at 9:07 p.m, where a representative claimed the flight was actually rescheduled for 7:05 p.m. on May 21.
When Sooth News asked point-blank whether the original 8:30 a.m. Abuja-to-Lagos flight ever took off, the representative dodged the question, insisting she needed the passenger’s PNR to check.
However, she repeatedly confirmed that the flight’s schedule had been altered.
Sooth News feels there are many people like Anifowoshe out there who remain voiceless while undergoing similar pains of flight rescheduling or cancellation. Instead of receiving apologies, passengers see airlines attach these disruptions to “operational reasons.” It is now left for relevant regulatory bodies to address this routine problem facing air passengers locally, ensuring decency, security, and mutual respect.
This is painful. You see victims of flight rescheduling or cancellations lying on the floor at our airports as if they are in IDP camps. This must stop.
