The disgraced airline, British Airways was embroiled in a major racist incident when it targeted African passengers for removal from its plane after they verbally objected to an alleged assault on an African being deported to Nigeria. Ayodeji Omotade was one of the many who stood up to protest as up to six officers attempted to forcibly subdue the unnamed man being deported from the UK. He had reason to complain.
In 2007, Osamuyia Aikpitanhi, a 23 year African from Nigeria was murdered by the Spanish authorities as they deported him by restraining him with handcuffs and leg chains and loaded him like an animal onto an Iberia aircraft bound for Lagos , Nigeria. Designated as an ‘illegal’ immigrant by the european nation his mouth was gagged with duck-tape and officials put a sack over his head. When no longer in view of other passengers he was beaten until he suffocated. Tragically, Osamuyia died in inhumane and undignified circumstances, choking and drowning in his own vomit with excrement all over himself.
Ayodeji explains; “On the 27th of March 2008 at about 12:30pm, I boarded the British Airways flight BA75… On getting to my seat, there were noises from an individual being forcibly restrained but who was not visible because some police officers and some plain clothes people held him down. The noise continued for more than 20 minutes and I was concerned because the individual was screaming in agony and shouting in pidgin English “I go die” meaning, I will die. I pleaded with the officers not to kill him and my exact words were “please don’t kill him”. The British Airways staff said that the officers were doing their jobs and that nothing was going to happen. The noise became louder and other passengers started getting concerned and were complaining especially about their safety. The situation continued for another 15 minutes after I got on”.
As the situation became more distressing a decision was made by the cabin crew to remove the passenger from the plane. However several minutes later after indicating this would take place police and airport officials boarded the plane and told Ayodeji to get off the plane.
When Ayodeji inquired as to why, he was told that the cabin crew thought he had been disruptive by questioning the noise being caused by the person that was removed. Ayodeji who was travelling to attend his brothers wedding in Nigeria requested that he be allowed to continue on his journey but he was ignored and forcibly dragged off the plane as if he were resisting arrest. When off the plane officers in an abuse of their authority slammed him against a wall making him sit on the floor for twenty minutes.
During this time twenty police officers boarded the plane and along with British Airways decided to remove every African who had witnessed Ayodeji’s arrest. The passengers were later booked onto later flights but Ayodeji was handcuffed and forced to sit in a van for over an hour before being arrested and having his rights read to him.
Upon arrival at a police station he remained in custody for almost eight hours, his property and money was confiscated and he was told he would have to appear in a magistrate court to prove the money he had on him was not meant for crime or proceeds of crime. He was charged with affray and causing a disturbance. |
I was concerned because the individual was screaming in agony and shouting in pidgin English “I go die” meaning, I will die. I pleaded with the officers not to kill him and my exact words were “please don’t kill him”.
Is Ayodeji Omotade a hero for saving the life of an African or does he deserve to be criminalised for objecting to the violent deportation of an "illegal" human?
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