Many passengers of Arik Air on Tuesday found themselves stranded at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja.
According to The PUNCH, this disruption occurred after the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency grounded the airline’s aircraft due to a court order related to a debt dispute.
The grounding follows a court action initiated by billionaire businessman Arthur Eze, who is owed $2.5 million by Arik Air’s founder, Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide.
The FCT High Court issued an order on July 19, 2024, which included attaching Arik Air’s planes to secure the debt. Arik Air was also given notice of a public auction of its planes, set for July 26, 2024, if the debt remained unpaid.
Despite Arik Air obtaining an ex-parte order to halt further enforcement, NAMA had not yet been officially notified. As a result, NAMA decided to ground the aircraft to ensure compliance with the court’s orders and prevent tampering.
In response to the situation, NAMA’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Musa, emphasized the agency’s adherence to the court’s orders, stating, “We have decided to comply with the effect of the Supreme Court order, by grounding the aircraft (subject of dispute) so that they are not taken out of the jurisdiction of the court or tampered with in a way as to frustrate the courts.” Musa also highlighted the legal risks involved, noting that the minister involved, being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, would not jeopardize his professional standing.
The decision left many travelers frustrated. Mr. Adeniran, who had planned to attend a business meeting in Abuja, expressed his disappointment at the airport, saying, “I am very disappointed, I will not only lose money for not making the appointment in Abuja, my company will also be surcharged for suddenly pulling out of a meeting we planned together in the last three weeks. What kind of a disappointment is this?” Adeniran, unable to find an alternative flight, had to return home.
Aina Oluwaseun, a father who had purchased tickets for his children’s return from Abuja, faced a similar predicament. He attempted to resolve the issue at the Lagos airport but found no immediate solutions.
“I really do not know what to do. They are yet to refund our money, or are they expecting me to pay another airline to bring my children home? I am using this medium to appeal to them to either put my children on another aircraft or refund my money in 72 hours,” Oluwaseun said.
Arik Air’s CEO, Capt Roy Ilegbodu, expressed shock and concern over the grounding, stating that the decision was made without prior notice or consultation and would significantly disrupt operations.
In his statement, Ilegbodu remarked, “Our priority has always been to connect people and facilitate commerce, especially on critical domestic routes. The grounding of our fleet disrupts these vital services, leaving passengers stranded and inflating already high travel costs.”
Ilegbodu also highlighted ongoing judicial proceedings, mentioning a previous judgment favoring Atlas Petroleum International Limited and Arthur Eze, while noting that a current case involving AMCON was still in progress.
He criticized the action as an overreach, arguing, “We believe this action undermines the rule of law and sets a dangerous precedent, prioritising unsecured private interests over the public good and the rights of secured creditors.”
Arik Air urged authorities to reconsider and lift the grounding order to allow them to continue serving the public and supporting the economy.
“We stand with our passengers and employees during this challenging time and are working tirelessly to resolve this situation,” Ilegbodu concluded.
A source confirmed that on July 19, 2024, the FCT High Court’s enforcement department acted on the order to address the $2.5 million debt owed by Arik Air.
