The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has given British Airways (BA) up till Monday to provide information on its compensation plan for 130 Nigerians shabbily treated on its March 27 London-Lagos flight. Director-General of the NCAA, Harold Demuren gave the ultimatum at an emergency meeting with the airline’s management yesterday. The airline is also to give a detailed report of the incident, and provide information on its flight schedule, arrival and departure time in the last six months. Demuren asked the airline to henceforth treat its Nigerian passengers well or be sanctioned by the government. The BA delegation was led by Mr Tunji Saymour and Mr Pallun Willie Emretane. Demuren frowned at the absence of the airline’s European staff in Nigeria at the meeting.

 More than 1,000 Nigerians have backed a call to boycott British Airways unless it apologises to the passengers concerned.   A protest letter, signed by more than 1,000 Nigerians, has been sent to President, Umaru Yar'Adua, and senior members of the Nigerian parliament. It calls for a front-page apology in a national Nigerian daily newspaper to all passengers on flight BA0075, a written apology and appropriate compensation. "Failure on the part of the British Airways to comply with the above demands will result in us calling for worldwide boycott of British Airways by Nigerians," the petition warned. British Airways said: "Police were called to the BA75 service to Lagos on 27 March after a large number of passengers became disruptive. Many were removed. We take any threats against our crew or passengers very seriously and this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated." 

 BA had on March 27 ordered 130 Nigerians off its London to Lagos flight for protesting against the brutal treatment of a deportee aboard. The airline said its action was informed by the behaviour of the Nigerians which it said posed a security risk.  President Umaru Yar’Adua directed the Minister of State for Transportation (Aviation), Mr Felix Hyat, to investigate the incident. Yar’Adua said the probe was intended to ensure the protection of the "travelling public from the humiliation they face daily from foreign airlines." Yesterday in Abuja, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Bob Dewar, visited the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ojo Maduekwe over the incident. Maduekwe, who noted the cordial relationship between Nigeria and Britain, said: "We do not think that as friends we should wait for problems to occur before we begin to dialogue." Dewar noted Nigeria’s contributions to global conflict resolutions through its peacekeeping efforts. He said it was the responsibility of his home government to impress it on its business community to be of best practices.