…As Victim Sues Airline For N250M
The inhuman treatment meted out to Nigerians in foreign countries continued with the assault and ill-treatment given to a Nigeria businesswoman, Tolulope Ogundokun, who doubles as the founder of Addict Pawprint Ogundokun by officials of Turkish Airlines.
She was allegedly assaulted recently by a Turkish national, when she wanted to board a flight from the Ataturk International Airport in Turkey to London.
This is just as she stated that she had sued the airline for N250 million as damages.
Ogundokun alleged that she was assaulted by the Customer Representative Manager of the airline, Selim Tartan, for daring to complain about the services offered by airline.
Narrating her ordeal, the 33-year-old Biochemistry graduate of the University of Lagos, stated that she had approached one of the airline customer representatives for a pass on board the flight, having tendered her ticket and denied access on the excuse that the aircraft was overbooked.
She stated that she was that the airline representative directed her to the boarding gate for her case to be treated but that after several efforts to get a pass failed, she demanded to see the airline’s manager for further explanations.
The manager, according to her, allegedly insulted her for having the audacity to complain about her inability to get a seat on the flight.
Ogundokun further alleged that the airline denied access because she was having a standby (SBY) boarding ticket, instead of a seat number.
According to her, “I got to the check-in Line C counter to enquire why standby. The Airlines representative told me the flight was overbooked, but I should go to the boarding gate and might be considered if the area was not fully occupied. I met the manager, Tartan, who told me rudely to go and check their website, that a confirmed ticket did not guarantee a seat on the aircraft. He said to me, ‘I don’t have time for you. You can stand there and keep asking me questions.”
Ogundokun also alleged that Tartan had threatened to take her luggage out of the aircraft and she would not travel to London if she insisted on joining the flight.
In her words,“He fumed and threatened to take my bags out of the aircraft, saying that I would not travel to London, if I persisted in knowing why I won’t be on that flight. He said so many nasty words to me.”
Unknown to the Turkish Airline Manager that while he was verbally abusing her, Ogundokun was recording the confrontation with her mobile device.
The recording, she added further infuriated Tartan and prompted him to suddenly abuse her physically.
Tartan went wild. He gripped me with his claws; hit me continuously on my arm! But I held my phone tight and made more recordings of his assault. It was humiliating. He hit me so much and pushed me aggressively,” she alleged.
According to the victim, when she reported the case to the police, the officers at first attempted to take some actions, but later distanced themselves, after Tartan had spoken to them in Turkish.
According to her, “The police asked me to delete the video, but after they watched it, they advised me to go to the airline management. Tartan’s female colleague tried to stop him but he ignored her. I crawled to the boarding gate, where I was told that 15 other persons, too, had SBY. But as soon as I showed them the video of the assault, coupled with the way I was panting, I was eventually put on the flight. I was so happy.”
Ogundokun, on arrival at the Heathrow Airport in London was confronted with another problem; her luggage was not on the flight and what come to her mind immediately was that the Turkish airline’s customer representative manager had made good his threat by removing her luggage.
“I thought I was dreaming. I wept profusely! I couldn’t believe that was happening to me. I went round carousel 8, where every passenger picked his baggage. I had to go to the officers. They checked and confirmed. They said ‘Madam, your luggage was not checked in with this flight’. I screamed silently. All my documents; all my items were gone! That was when it dawned on me that he (Tartan) really carried out his threat that I would not fly.”
She continued, “I couldn’t think rationally anymore. I was empty and had nothing on me. I cried while I walked the streets of London. My own tears blinded me so much so that I became myopic.”
Narrating her ordeal further Ogundokun stated that although she was able to lodge in a hotel, she had on her the same clothes and under wears.
She lamented that she only changed her dress when she received her bags after four days.
I her words, “I was supposed to travel to Scotland but I could not, as I had nothing on me: no clothes to change, no money again; it was hell for me.”
She disclosed that when she got back to Nigeria, she had to visit a medical facility on Lagos Island, where she was treated for depression, psychological trauma and other emotional implications provoked by the horrible experience.
“At the moment, I am emotionally fluctuating. I need to be well stabilised,” she said.
Meanwhile, Ogundokun, stated that she had sued Turkish Airlines and would be glad to see the airline, especially Selim Tartan, face the full wrath of the law.
According to her, “The case is in court. My lawyers have filed a suit of N250million damages to be paid to me.”
She listed the charges leveled against Turkish Airlines and its official to include: assault, delayed boarding and delayed baggage, adding that case is before Justice Idris of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi.”
She said that Turkish Airlines did not deny the abuse by its official and the deliberate seizure of her luggage for four days, leaving her in a distraught state.
Efforts to reach Turkish Airlines management in Nigeria for its own side of the story did not yield any positive result.
