Pandemonium
occurred at the International wing of the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport yesterday as an Ijebu man(name withheld) and his
family were barred from boarding an Air France flight to London.
According
to eye witnesses, all seemed to be well with the said family and other
passengers as they queued to check in around 4:45pm, until the man
raised his voice at the airline officials over him not having the
necessary traveling documents, especially a United Kingdom Visa.
Before
he was whisked away by security agents, FNN was made to understand that
he and his family intended to fly to London with a Visa ATM card as
opposed to the needed Visa travel document showing permission to enter a
foreign country.
Further
discussion with his wife disclosed that he had sold their house and
their few properties to secure the flight tickets for both of them and
their two children and was told by a friend that all he needs for them
to travel to London in his quest of greener pastures is a Visa.
Realising
on a TV advert that Access bank Visa card can be used in United
Kingdom, the Ijebu man subsequently opened accounts for all of them and
they were issued the said Visa ATM-Cards.
When
quizzed by FNN, the obviously aggrived man was quick to respond that
he’ll sue Access Bank for ‘gross breach of trust and consequently
Sly-ism’.
FNN
wishes to use this medium to enlighten Ijebu people and other Nigerians
as required that the Visa ATM cards issued by banks are not the Visa
authority needed to travel to foreign countries but the endorsed stamps
and certificates issued by the respective embassies/high commissions or
their authorised offices.
FNN
and well meaning Unionists and human rights activists plead with Air
France to refund their ticket money, if the family cannot secure an
official UK Visa.
The man was later identified as the popular Nigerian comic actor, Mr. IBU and this saga occured on a movie set.
