Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Bolaji Ogunmola, has accused United Nigeria Airlines of negligence and lack of empathy after she was stranded in Ekiti State following multiple flight cancellations, an incident she said has disrupted her ₦20 million movie production in Lagos.
In an emotional video shared on her Instagram page on Thursday, Ogunmola said the airline’s failure to communicate properly or provide alternatives left her stranded in a state where she knew no one, forcing her to consider travelling by road despite safety concerns.
“Good morning. So, it doesn’t look like I’m just trying to, um, I’m trying to just call out anybody. I’m not a person to call out anybody,” she said. “I’m still at the airport, by the way, and I’ve cried my eyes out this morning. So, I’m in Ekiti. I’m still here because I’m on set this morning and it’s the first day of TOC’s production.”
The actress explained that she was scheduled to fly to Lagos the previous day but was informed at the airport that the flight had been delayed and later cancelled.
“I waited, waited, waited. They said, after a while, they said that they are not flying again, that they cancelled the flight,” she said. “And I said, okay, you cancelled the flight. What is the plan? I need to get to Lagos… They’re like, okay, there’s nothing they can do.”
According to Ogunmola, she had to pay for accommodation overnight after being assured that a rescheduled flight would depart by 8am the next day, only for the time to be repeatedly shifted.
“This morning, they said they are going to fly 8 a.m… I got to the airport by 6.30. They said it’s not for 8 a.m. again. It’s for 9.30… Now they are saying that their flight is going to move by 5.30,” she lamented.
She said the delays have had serious financial and professional consequences, as cast and crew were already on set in Lagos.
“I have actors on set, I booked restaurants, I booked everything,” Ogunmola said. “I have spent over N15m, N20m trying to produce this film and I’m still in Ekiti.”
The filmmaker accused the airline of being insensitive to her situation.
“It’s not only my time that these people are toying with. It’s actually my source of livelihood as well,” she said. “There is no conversation. Nothing was said… They are not remorseful. They are unfair. They are inhumane.”
Ogunmola revealed that she would be travelling by road to Lagos to meet her production schedule and has instructed her lawyers to take up the matter.
“I have to go by road, which is very unsafe, but I need to get to work,” she stated. “My lawyers will take this up. I just needed to have evidence of what had happened to me.”
As of the time of filing this report, United Nigeria Airlines was yet to issue an official response to the allegations by the Nollywood actress.
