The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has shut down a KFC store at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos State.
FAAN announced this on Thursday in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah.
The announcement, headed ‘FAAN shuts down KFC store at MMIA,’ stated that the restaurant breached the Lagos State Law on People with Special Needs, Part C, Section 55 of General Provisions on Discrimination.
According to the statement, the decision came in response to a social media post by a Passenger with Reduced Mobility who claimed to have suffered discriminatory treatment at the airport.
It read:
“In line with Lagos State law on People with Special Needs, Part C, section 55 of General Provisions on Discrimination which states that “A person shall not deprive another person of access to any place, vehicle or facility that members of the public are entitled to enter or use on the basis of the disability of that person”, the management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has closed the KFC facility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos with effect from March 28, 2024.
“This is as a result of a social media report by a Passenger with Reduced Mobility (PRM), alleging discriminatory treatment he received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
“The MD/CE of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi, Kuku intervened swiftly by deploying a management team comprising the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mrs Obiageli Orah; the Regional Manager South West, Mr. Sunday Ayodele; Ag. General Manager Public Affairs, Mrs Ijeoma Nwosu-Igbo and the International Terminal Manager, Mr. Kerri, to investigate the allegation.”
FAAN said, “It is based on the findings of the team that FAAN has shut down the KFC facility at the MMA, where the incident occurred.
“The authority has instructed that the KFC Management should tender an unreserved apology, in writing, to the affected PRM and a policy statement of non-discrimination be written and pasted conspicuously at the door post of their facility at MMIA before it resumes operation.
“FAAN uses this medium to express our unreserved apology to the affected Passenger with Reduced Mobility and assures all airport users that we shall continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the rights of every passenger are not infringed upon.”
Adebola Daniel, the victim of the mistreatment and son of former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel, described his ordeal at the airport’s KFC location in a series of tweets made on Wednesday using his X handle, @DebolaDaniel.
Daniel, a wheelchair user, characterized his incident as “the worst sort of public humiliation” he’d ever experienced.
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