A civil society organization, Disability Rights Protection Initiative, has brought an airline, Dana Air Limited, before Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Enugu, for alleged discrimination against a physically challenged passenger, Gloria Nwogbo.

The case will be heard on Tuesday (today), and the group is seeking N550 million in compensation.

On August 5, 2021, the airline allegedly refused Nwogbo boarding at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu because she was disabled, even though she had purchased her air ticket and obtained her boarding pass.

The DRP Registered Trustees filed a lawsuit on behalf of Nwogbo (the applicant), a native of Awka in Anambra State’s Awka South Local Government Area.

The applicant, in the suit, marked FHC/EN/CS/181/2021 and filed by her lawyer, Kelechi Chukwu, obtained by our correspondent in Abuja on Monday, asked the court to declare that the action of the respondent in refusing and denying Nwogbo from boarding and/or accessing their airline on the grounds that she was disabled “was inhuman, degrading and discriminatory.”

The applicant also asked the court to declare that the terms and conditions of the respondent’s air ticket, which states that “special passengers: wheelchair (WCHR) and visually-impaired (Blind) passengers cannot travel without an accompanied person, we are always happy to serve WCHR and Blind passengers but they cannot travel unaccompanied,” was discriminatory and contrary to Section 42(2) of the Constitution as amended, and therefore illegal, unconstitutional, unlawful, null and void.

Other reliefs are, “an order of this honorable court directing the respondent to pay the sum of N50m only as exemplary damages to the applicant for the inhuman, degrading and discriminatory treatment meted out to the applicant.

“An order of this honorable court directing the respondent to pay the sum of N500m only as general damages to the applicant for the shame, shock, public ridicule and psychological trauma suffered by the applicant as a result of the inhuman, degrading and discriminatory treatment meted out to the applicant.

“An injunction restraining the respondent, whether by themselves, their servants, officers, agents or privies, in any manner whatsoever from further discriminating against the applicant on the basis that she is a disabled person.

“An order of this honorable court directing the respondent to refund the sum of N28,800 only to the applicant being the sum paid as the airfare by the applicant to the respondent.”

The lawyer also sought an apology to be issued to Nwogbo for the alleged violation of her fundamental rights.