By Sonia Odigie
Ethiopian Airlines has continued to remain silent over the stealing of $3,200 kept in the checked-in-handbag belonging to an Indian national, Gosavi, Sairaj KI, who is resident in Nigeria.
Mr Gosavi had boarded the Ethiopian airline flight number ET950 from Abuja to Addis Ababa on July 8, 2022 but on landing for his connecting flight noticed that his money had gone missing.
Following verbal complaints at the airline customer service counter, he was directed to formally write to the airline.
The letter titled ‘Complaint about Theft in Ethopian Flight 950’ addressed to customerrelationsteam@ethopianairlines.com read:
“Dear Ethiopian Airlines team,
“With deep sorrow and pain I want to make official complaint about theft of $3200 in cash from my bag in the Flight ET 950 from Abuja to Addis Ababa.
“I was sitting at seat No 23 A , I am strongly suspecting the person on seat no 23 C.
“And 22 A & C, Since the airlines has the record of passengers and boarding pass issued , I would like Ethiopian Airlines to immediately investigate & trace the culprits and book under law and help me retrieve my money please.
“Attached is my boarding pass for your reference.”
Narrating the incident to Global Upfront Newspapers, Mr Gosavi stated: “I would like to bring it to your notice a serious and sad incident happened yesterday (July 8) in Ethopian Airlines flight ET950 Abuja to Addis Ababa.
“After landing at Addis, I checked my hand bag where I kept $3200, but to my shock it was not in the bag. I kept looking for it in the bag and pocket and couldn’t find it. I started panicking. One of the fellow passengers who was Indian asked me about my situation and when I told him, he also checklist his bag and he was also shocked to see his $1,500 & some local currency on Naira missing.
“We raised alarm with the security but no help was provided. Meanwhile during our talks, we came to know that while the plane landed at Addis Ababa, one lady discovered that someone had stolen her gold jewelry from her bag.”
And two days after the incident, Mr Gosavi regrettably said: “Till this evening (July 10), I have not received any correspondence from the Ethiopian Airlines regarding my complaint about theft of $3,200 from my bag in the Flight ET 950 Abuja to Addis Ababa. Sir, as mentioned earlier, two more persons became victims on the same flight. We seek justice.”
All efforts to get the reaction of the airline has proved abortive.
Meanwhile, the frustrated victims are seeking for justice and are calling for “thorough” investigations and the return of their funds.
Said one of the victims, “there must be a way of monitoring all luggages including the checked-in-handbags and bags stowed overhead the compartments. There must be an end to the nightmare of having to lose one’s hard earned funds. What is so bad is that the airline has refused to say anything to me or to any of the people who were victims of the same stealing onboard the Ethiopian airline. There must be a stop to this.”
