By John Moses
The Nigerian Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is set to arraign the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, Mr Temi Birdzell, along with four senior company executives, over alleged violations of the FCCPC Act, 2018.
The airline and its executives will appear before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on 7 October, after the scheduled arraignment on Tuesday was postponed due to the improper service of court documents.
Among the co-defendants are Stella Ihediwa, Qatar Airways’ Account Manager; Kennedy Chirchir, Country Manager; and Eva Ojeje, Sales Manager. The company itself is also named as the first defendant in the case, which includes a three-count charge filed under suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/200/2025.
Prosecuting counsel for the FCCPC, Chizenum Nsitem, informed the court that although the airline had been served, four of the individual defendants had not received the required court summons or hearing notices. The judge granted an adjournment to allow proper service and rescheduled the hearing for October.
The charges include:
Failure to comply with a lawful summons issued by the FCCPC on 6 September 2024, in breach of Section 33(3) of the FCCPC Act.
Refusal to produce required documents on 18 September 2024, allegedly violating Section 111 of the same Act.
An additional accusation of infringing on consumer rights, contrary to Section 124(1) and punishable under Section 155 of the Act.
The FCCPC alleges that the airline failed to cooperate with an ongoing investigation into potential consumer rights violations and anti-competitive practices in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
The case underscores increasing scrutiny of foreign businesses operating in Nigeria and the country’s renewed emphasis on enforcing consumer protection standards.
