By Francesca Hangeior.
The federal government has engaged Royal Air Maroc following claims that some Nigerian passengers were ill-treated when the Abuja-bound aircraft from Casablanca had technical issues, which resulted in an emergency landing in Marrakesh.
The passengers, the majority of whom were Nigerians, were reportedly left without care at the terminal and without food and decent shelter. Women and children were also left sleeping on the floor.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, in a post on his official X account @fkeyamo on Friday, September 13, directed the Consumer Protection Department of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to immediately engage the airline.
He also called on the airline to remedy the situation.
He said preliminary investigations, including the reports from NCAA Consumer Protection Officers (CPOs), RAM Country Manager, Station Manager, and Duty Manager indicate that there was an air return to Marrakesh due to a technical problem.
Other findings, according to Achimugu, said: “Nigerians need to have a visa to be allowed accommodation inside Morocco, passengers were given refreshments – wraps, water, and coffee.
“Abuja outbound passengers are presently stranded as they also await the arrival of the RAM flight from Morocco. The passengers stranded in Abuja have been taken to the hotel to rest and freshen up and a new check-in time has been announced to Abuja outbound passengers.”
He added that a new aircraft has landed in Marrakesh to airlift Abuja-bound passengers, and the estimated time of arrival in Abuja is 1715hrs local time.
While awaiting the arrival of the passengers, Achimugu assured that the NCAA will ensure that the rights of Nigerian passengers are respected and a compliance report will determine if the regulations have been flouted.