Travel/Tourism
Ethiopian Airlines Breeding Thieves? Victims Narrate Horrible Ordeal
By Dipo Olowookere
Ethiopian Airlines is regarded by many as pride of Africa because of its growth and successes in the aviation industry.
However, those things that have made the airline operator a darling of many are at risk because of some elements working with the company.
In fact, those who have experienced these horrible incidents have now had to ask if Ethiopian Airlines is now breeding thieves.
Here is an account of a top Nigerian journalist, ‘Fisayo Soyombo, with Ethiopian Airlines some days ago:
In life, never say never. Nothing, really, is finite. On Tuesday November 14, I was discussing with a very senior journalist about why opinion writing space should be strictly devoted to public matters, how the columnist should focus on public issues rather than himself, how, after writing every piece, I deliberately re-read to rephrase all expressions bearing the First Person Singular Pronoun “I”.
That conversation held during an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Abuja to Johannesburg via Addis Ababa; little did I know that the return trip would be laced with an incident that would make me break this rule. What would you do if you were wronged and the offender looked you in the eye and said there was nothing you could do about it? Use all possible avenues to seek retribution!
WHEN ‘SECURITY GUARDS’ ARE THE THIEVES
The return Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET911 arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja — via Flight ET 858 from Johannesburg to Addis Ababa — around noon on Monday November 20. Tired after a journey — counting from the hotel — that lasted 18 hours, I dragged my checked-in luggage straight home. Next morning when I opened it, I discovered that my expensive Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR camera had been stolen. The thief stole the camera and left the pouch, battery and manual for me! Straightaway, I embarked on some Formula One driving to the Abuja Airport and promptly located the Ethiopian Airlines office. I still haven’t got over the nightmare that followed.
When I told the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) official in that office that I needed to speak with an Ethiopian Airlines official to complain about my stolen property, his reply was curt: “They are at the tarmac; go there if you want to see them.” By the time I started reminding him that I couldn’t be allowed anywhere near the tarmac since I wasn’t travelling, it was his back I was seeing, hands on the door, ready to abandon me in that office.
Luckily — no, unluckily, — a tall, dark and well-built Ethiopian Airlines official walked in just as the NAHCO official was exiting. When I narrated to him how I discovered that my property had been stolen, and my decision to lodge a formal complaint about it, he muttered some imperceptible words and said he had work to do. Before I could say Jack Robinson, Mr Ethiopian Airlines Official was on his way out as well, leaving the door ajar and me inside. Never ever had I seen such blithe insouciance by a service renderer to a customer. At that point, I remembered the words of a NAHCO official in Lagos whom I phoned the moment I discovered the theft. “Theft of travellers’ belongings is common at Nigerian airports; the airlines know about it, and NAHCO officials are a big part of it,” he had said. “Once they see it in the scanner that there are valuables in your checked-in luggage, they find a way to pilfer it. However, if you mount serious pressure on them, they will bring out your property.”
At that point, I became agitated and opted to launch a one-man protest. Within five minutes of my creating a scene at the airport lobby, a second NAHCO official fished out a complaint form, and it was handed over to me by the first NAHCO official. I was shocked to see this first NAHCO official calmly ask me questions about my travel and fill the answers on a separate form of his.
Then there was trouble. I filled the form and was already leaving when I realised I had no proof of ever filing a complaint. I asked to make a photocopy but the official said it was impossible. Then I asked to take shots of the form with my phone; this angered him. As I was taking a shot of it, he looked sternly at me and said: “You’re just stressing yourself. You see all these things you’re doing, filling form and snapping photos, nothing will come out of it. And there is nothing you can do about it!” That was after the Ethiopian Airlines staff had told me: “We’re just trying to help you.”
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES’ LONG-RUNNING HISTORY OF LUGGAGE THEFT
I was so distraught by the airport experience that I put up a Facebook post to vent my frustrations. Within 24 hours, five victims of property theft by Ethiopian Airlines showed up. The reaction from the airline has been the same: make them fill complaint forms, then cover the matter up. The examples are all similar. Apparently, Ethiopian Airlines has been stealing from its customers for years and getting away with it.
Seun Oduloye arrived Lagos on June 6, 2017, via an Ethiopian Airlines flight that connected Nigeria from Dublin via Addis Ababa, to the discovery that an entire luggage had vanished. In that big bag were, among others, three pairs of suit, 13 pieces of shoes, perfumes, wristwatches, ladies’ handbags, dresses and packs of chocolate. In the six months that have followed, what Ethiopian Airlines has done is to dribble her like Lionel Messi from one office to another. The airline also failed to reply all three letters from her lawyer.
In December 2014, when Temitayo Odusolu travelled from Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR), to Douala, Cameroon, with Asky Airlines, and then flew Ethiopian Airlines from Douala to Addis Ababa and also the same airline to Lagos, one of her three bags went missing. In that bag were close to 10 books, clothes, camera, and an expensive cloth gift from Ecobank CAR. In a few days, it will be exactly three years since the incident occurred; and despite filling a claims form and following up with different Ethiopian Airlines officials for many months, Odusolu has received neither a formal apology nor compensation from the airline.
On December 17, 2016, Oluwaseun Adepoju arrived Lagos from Hong Kong on an Ethiopian Airlines flight to the discovery that his bag had been opened and baby wears removed from it. Thinking that he encouraged the thieves by trusting Ethiopian Airlines enough not to padlock his bags, Adepoju decided to start padlocking his bags from then on.
However, when he flew Ethiopian Airlines (Flight No ET 901) again on November 5, 2017, from Hong Kong to Lagos, having been collected from a Cathay Pacific plane arriving Hong Kong from South Korea, the thieves struck again. He had two brown bags — one big, the other medium-size — both locked with a mini blue-coloured code. The code locks were forced out of the zipper handles, while the trolley handle of the small bag was forced out beyond repairs. Three shirts were missing from a stack of nine new shirts arranged in a white mall gift cellophane in the big luggage.
On July 17, 2017, a Nigerian who asked not to be named — because it was a business trip and his company policy forbids talking to the media — connected Nairobi via an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa. Upon landing, he discovered that his locked checked-in bag had been broken, and $750 stolen from it. He promptly lodged a complaint, but six months after Ethiopian Airlines has not refunded the money to him.
THE DAMAGE, THE DEMAND
Incidentally, as I was complaining at the Abuja airport, aviation stakeholders were holding an ICAO World Aviation Forum (IWAF) meeting in Abuja, where five obstacles slowing down aviation and air transport in Africa were listed as: safety, market access, high fares and costs, infrastructure, and availability of finance. A sixth needs to be added: poor customer service. And for all the government’s noise about ease of doing business, nobody wants to travel to a country where checked-in luggage is unsafe or where, due to human errors/failings, theft or damage to luggage cannot be punished and the victim compensated.
This is a public call to the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to pay more attention to widespread customer dissatisfaction with the aviation industry. It is not just the manner of delay and cancellation of flights that is worrisome, it is the I-don’t-give-a-hoot attitude to passengers. In 2015, I lodged a complaint with the NCAA over a premeditated six-hour postponement of a trip, without even a text notification, by Aero Airlines. Maybe tomorrow, after more than two years, someone at NCAA will call just to acknowledge it!
Finally, this is a public appeal to Ethiopian Airlines to return my stolen property, and also compensate Seun Oduloye, Temitayo Odusolu, Oluwaseun Adepoju and the anonymous passenger for their stolen items/luggage. It is not enough for my matter to be treated; all four others must be compensated.
‘Fisayo Soyombo is Editor of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) and tweets @fisayosoyombo
The manner in which international travel and digital entertainment intersect has experienced a massive transformation in the current year. As the volume of international travel continues to rise to unprecedented levels, the technological potential to access a 1xbet giriş from any point in the world has become the benchmark by which the efficacy of a given system or network should be judged. In 2026, more than 65% of international travel hubs have completely integrated standalone 5G connectivity, providing the environment that is required to enable high-stakes sports viewing. This means that regardless of the position that the sports aficionado finds themselves in, at the top of a mountain or at the coast, the nature of the information that flows will remain the same. The modern-day traveler expects nothing but the best, and that includes the manner in which they will be able to engage with the digital hobbies that they have been able to cultivate during the course of the year.
The way in which the experience is felt has also been improved through the efficiency of the software that is used to power the mobile experience. If the user has opted to install the 1xbet apk file on the 2026 flagship device, the user is able to experience the new “Travel-Adaptive” coding that reduces the background data usage by 30% when traveling internationally. This is an important aspect of the experience because the user may find themselves in transit for an extended period of time without the ability to plug in and charge the device. As the statistics show for the first half of the year, the user of the mobile The application is able to experience a 25% reduction in data usage when traveling compared to the user who makes use of the mobile web browser in order to experience the sports entertainment the user has grown accustomed to. It is a more relaxed experience where the main aspect is the thrill of the game.
The Role of Mobile Betting in Modern Tourism
It should be noted that the modern betting process concerning sports is considered to be one of the most effective ways to get entertained during a long flight or when staying at the airport. Mobile betting is considered to be a unique opportunity for a tourist not just to view a sporting event, but also to become an active participant of that sporting event that is taking place on the other side of the world. Thanks to the speed of modern applications, it is possible for a tourist to react immediately to the changes in the score and adjust the predictions accordingly during an excursion or when staying by the pool. Such an event is considered to be an adventure in bright colors.
Apart from the entertainment that such modern platforms offer, they also present a great number of analytical data that allows the tourist to get engaged in the process. One of the main purposes of such tourism is to get satisfaction from the accuracy of one’s prediction, as well as competition. Such platforms pay great attention to the safety issues, reminding the tourist that “betting should be an additional positive experience of your trip.”
Network Benchmarks for the Connected Traveler
The sports enthusiast who is always on the go would find that the line which separates an enjoyable experience from an unenjoyable experience of sports betting is measured in mere milliseconds. In fact, the world average of mobile latency for tourist destinations has been reduced to mere 16ms in 2026, which is an important consideration for sports enthusiasts who enjoy sports betting for games such as tennis and basketball.
The table below shows the current standards for mobile network performance for the most prominent tourist destinations around the world:
| Network Metric | Global Average 2026 | Satisfaction Rate | Primary Use Case |
| Download Speed | 195.6 Mbps | 88 percent | High-definition streaming |
| Signal Latency (5G) | 16 ms | 92 percent | Real-time Live updates |
| Roaming Cost | 1.15 USD / GB | 74 percent | Continuous background sync |
| App Load Time | 1.8 seconds | 85 percent | Rapid market entry |
| Connection Stability | 99.8 percent | 91 percent | Uninterrupted viewing |
As per the latest research findings on the subject by the research company named Statista, it has been identified that the need for high-speed mobile data for the tourists is rising by an increase of 40%. This is mainly because the tourist would like to experience a form of ‘multi-layered’ entertainment. The definition of ‘multi-layered’ implies that the sports enthusiast would like to view a live streaming event, access his or her social media account, and place a friendly bet on the event simultaneously. Therefore, as long as this infrastructure is in place, this would thrive.
The Evolution of Mobile Betting as Travel Leisure
In the year 2026, mobile betting for sports would be considered a fun way of spicing up the entire travel experience. This is because it would be able to provide a new dimension to a sporting event that an individual is witnessing while traveling in a pub or a train. It would be able to provide individuals with a way of having a personal stake in a world event. Thus, the hours that an individual spends in a train or an airport would be able to pass quickly with a fun way of gamification of sports viewing.
In the year 2026, modern mobile betting has turned out to be a full-fledged way of socializing for travelers. This is because many individuals use the co-watching features of the application and group betting features of the application in order to compete with their friends back home or connect with other sports fans of the sport that they are watching while visiting pubs around the world. It is because it would be able to provide individuals with a new dimension of traveling. It is no longer just about traveling to a new destination; it is about becoming part of a new world community where talking about the probabilities of winning or forward performance of a team is considered to be the universal language of communication. It is no longer just about betting; it is about getting the rhythm of the world of sports wherever an individual is located—from the cozy European roads to the futuristic cities of Asia.
Popular Mobile Sports Activities for People on the Move
Individuals who travel in 2026 have managed to come up with their own ways of having fun through sports without missing out on their sightseeing targets. There has been a new trend of “micro-betting,” which refers to betting on a game that will happen in the near future.
The following is a list that points out the best mobile sports-related activities for traveling individuals for the current year:
- Predicting the total points scored in one quarter of the basketball game while in short transit stops.
- Tracking the sports player that is most likely to score the next goal in the football game while in a cafe.
- Determining the total number of games in one set in the tennis game while in downtime at a resort.
- Viewing the percentage of ball possession for a particular team through the use of graphical overlays.
- Predicting the exact number of free throws scored in a game while in downtime at a hotel.
The activities will be perfect for the downtime in the traveling schedule as they will provide the individual with a dose of excitement without making the individual glued to his/her screens for hours. This way, the individual will be able to appreciate the digital world as well as the beauty of the world he/she is in.
Security and Responsible Habits Abroad
However, with the introduction of mobile transactions during travel, the factor of security has been regarded as a major factor. In fact, in the current scenario, 94% of the total mobile sports platforms provide multi-factor biometric authentication. This means that the security of your account is ensured even when you are accessing the internet through a public source of internet connectivity, such as Wi-Fi. Moreover, the majority of the platforms provide “Smart Limits” that are location and time zone-based. In this way, an individual can develop a habit when they are traveling. All of this has been done in a way that the overall experience remains a positive one. This is because betting is something that an individual chooses for his or her entertainment.
The innovations in the field of technology, such as the introduction of technology through eSIM, allow an individual to remain connected. This means that an individual does not face “bill shock” when they are using roaming.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The federal government has directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to adopt a hybrid payment system that accommodates both cash and card payments at all airport access gates with effect from Friday, March 13, 2026.
This system is to be used until the introduction of a fully automated or electronic system at all access gates at the airports in order to fully and eventually eliminate cash payments.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, disclosed that these decisions were reached after reviewing the initial implementation and the operational challenges observed.
FAAN had earlier commenced an electronic payment system last week, but it was suspended by President Bola Tinubu due to the traffic gridlock it created.
Yesterday, the Aviation Minister met with officials of FAAN and senior officials of the Ministry, and it was agreed to engage concessionaires for the introduction of a fully automated or electronic system.
Mr Keyamo, in the statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Mr Tunde Moshood, said motorists who already possess FAAN Go Cashless Cards may continue to use them until further notice.
It was also resolved that other electronic payment options, including POS terminals and other approved digital channels, will also remain available, while members of the public and road users were encouraged to obtain and use the FAAN Go Cashless Card as the organisation continues to enhance and fully optimise the cashless payment system.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The cashless airport toll gate payment system introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has been suspended by President Bola Tinubu.
At the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja, Mr Tinubu directed the agency to immediately return to the status quo, pending the development of a more efficient system.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, who announced the suspension after the FEC meeting today, said the action followed gridlock that trailed the new system, which caused passengers to miss their flights.
FAAN had commenced the cashless payment system for airport toll gates across the country in a bid to block revenue leakages and adopt an electronic payment system instead of cash.
But this policy caused traffic gridlock at several airports, especially those in Lagos and Abuja.
“Mr President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were losing their flights, missing their flights.
“So, Mr President, out of empathy, directed today that we should suspend the present system because it creates a lot of gridlock, and Nigerians are suffering as a result of it,” Mr Keyamo informed newsmen.
“The major reason why Mr President took this decision is to eliminate the present gridlock that we are experiencing, especially at both the Lagos and Abuja toll gates leading to the airport.
“That’s the major reason, not that the President is happy with the cash system,” he added.
The Minister further said the President directed stakeholders to “go back and, if possible, even engage the private sector to ensure that we establish an electronic system by which we can collect these revenues for the federal government at the gates, to the extent that it will not create the gridlock that we are having right now.”
“We are going to do a hybrid system whereby we can collect cash temporarily and, of course, use the cards that they have collected temporarily for now,” Mr Keyamo added.
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