Toyin Lawani Alleges Assault, Discrimination By British Airways Staff In Ghana

✍️ By Teju/ February 7, 2026/ 12:06pm

Nigerian fashion entrepreneur and reality TV star, Toyin Lawani, has accused staff of British Airways of verbal abuse, physical assault, and discrimination against her disability during a recent trip from Ghana to the United Kingdom.

In a detailed Instagram post, Lawani revealed that she lives with degenerative spine disease, uses a walking stick permanently, and relies on wheelchair services at airports due to a spinal implant and other medical complications that affect her mobility and speech. She explained that stress can trigger severe physical reactions, including shock.

According to her account, she arrived at the British Airways counter at 7:40pm for her 9:10pm flight, having already checked in online. Despite being within the boarding process and seeing other passengers still being attended to, she said airline staff abruptly shut the barricade and refused to process her check‑in.

Lawani stated that while she and her team remained calm and pleaded for assistance, citing medical appointments and her health condition, staff were allegedly dismissive and hostile. The situation escalated when a staff member was reportedly seen checking in another passenger privately. A video of the incident was recorded but later deleted at the request of the passenger involved.

She alleged that the staff member became aggressive, threatening to prevent her from travelling even if she rebooked her ticket. Lawani further claimed that during the confrontation, the staff member physically struck her and smashed her phone, leaving her in shock and distress.

Police were reportedly called to the scene. While Lawani said the officers did not support the airline staff, she described being handled roughly during the chaos until her companion intervened, explaining her medical condition. She also accused multiple British Airways staff of ganging up on her, making derogatory remarks, and failing to restrain their colleague.

Due to the incident and time constraints, Lawani said she was unable to rebook her flight immediately and had to return to her hotel. She later purchased a new ticket costing over $3,000 to make it back to the UK. She also revealed that the ordeal caused her to miss an important medical appointment and left her traumatized.

Lawani concluded by stating that she was verbally abused, physically assaulted, and mocked for her disability, adding that she intends to pursue justice and hold British Airways accountable for the conduct of its staff.

As of now, British Airways has not publicly responded to the allegations.