Aikpitanhi’s rejects 10,000 euros humanitarian help from Spain, sues Iberia for $10million

By Lucky Onoriode George

 The family of a Nigerian who died on board Iberia Airline when he was been deported by the Spanish Immigration has gone to court seeking compensation from the Spain national carrier.

Father of the late Osamuyiwa Aikpitanhi, Mr. Jacob Aikpitanhi has sued the Iberia Airline for damages to the tune of $10 million for killing his son. He recently rejected the sum of 10.000.00 euros humanitarian help made available by the Spanish government through its embassy in Nigeria.

Mr. Aikpitanhi is asking the court to order the airline to release the corpse of his son. He said the killing of Osamuyiwa on June 9, 2007 while on board is illegal and unconstitutional.

In a suit filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos through his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, Mr. Aikpitanhi claimed that the airline negligently subjected the deceased to unjust discrimination and unreasonable prejudice that resulted to his untimely death.

He averred, "the defendant is liable for the death of the deceased as it was by the negligence and other wrongful act or omission of the carrier or its servants or agents who had a duty not to transport the deceased in such a dehumanized and life threatening situation but nonetheless, agreed to carry the deceased and thereby risking the life of the deceased."

It would be recalled that Osamuyiwa Aikpitanhi was said to have died on June 9, 2007 while being deported from Spain by the Spanish Immigration authorities aboard the Iberia aircraft.

According to the statement of claim, "Before the deceased was put in the aircraft, the Spanish Police administered tranquilizers on the deceased, handcuffed him, chained his legs, gagged him with industrial strength rubber and put a sack over his head, after they had taken turns beating him before securing the assistance of the airline to complete the final process of torturing and killing the deceased on board through their acts of negligence.

The deceased father further claimed that the airline in conjunction with the Spanish Immigration officials while putting the deceased inside the aircraft covered him with sack in order to prevent other passengers in the aircraft from observing the undignified and inhuman manner in which the deceased was restrained.

Meanwhile, sources in Spain have it that the late Nigerian was convicted of a serious crime of which its minimum punishment was long time imprisonment or deportation. The Spanish authority chose deportation for him but Osamuyiwa who was offered a return ticket to Nigeria refused this honorable option according to Spanish officials.

Again he created a scene when he was being deported forcefully. This led to the refusal of the airline pilot to fly with him on board before the last attempt that lead to his untimely death. Osamuyiwa was classified as a dangerous criminal that cannot continue to live in Spain.

In spite of the strained relationship between the Aikpitanhi’s and the government of Spain, two other Aikpitanhis still live and earn their living in Spain according to the embassy in Nigeria.

Presently, there are over 18,000 Nigerians in Spain and the case is being looked into by law court in Spain.