XEJet Limited has filed separate lawsuits against Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) and the Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria (AGHAN) over an alleged breach of confidentiality and claims concerning an outstanding debt of about N300 million.
The airline filed the suits before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, following a dispute over its ground handling account with SAHCO and subsequent reports about the alleged debt. In the suit against SAHCO, XEJet said it had a standard ground handling agreement with the company from January 1, 2026. The agreement covered services at airports in Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Asaba and Warri. The airline said the agreement required both parties to keep information exchanged during negotiations and the provision of ground handling services confidential.
According to XEJet, SAHCO requested payment of outstanding invoices in letters dated September 4 and September 23, 2026. The airline said the September 23 letter gave it until September 28 to make payment or reach a satisfactory payment arrangement. However, XEJet alleged that SAHCO withdrew its ground handling services at about 8am on September 28, before the deadline had expired.
The airline said it paid N7 million to SAHCO on September 28 through two bank transfers. It subsequently paid another N208.898 million on September 29, bringing the total payment to N215.898 million. XEJet also challenged the involvement of AGHAN, saying the association was not a party to its agreement with SAHCO. The airline alleged that information about its account was disclosed to AGHAN and later appeared in media reports. It said the information could only have come from documents and dealings between XEJet and SAHCO.
XEJet is asking the court to declare that information relating to its account was confidential and that SAHCO had no right to disclose it to AGHAN or the media without its consent. The airline is also seeking N1 billion in general damages over the alleged breach of confidentiality and another N100 million over the withdrawal of ground handling services.
In a separate case, XEJet sued AGHAN and four media organisations over reports concerning the alleged N300 million debt. AGHAN had directed its members to withdraw ground handling services from XEJet, alleging that the airline owed its members about N300 million and had failed to honour payment arrangements. XEJet disputed the claim, saying it did not owe money to any other AGHAN member apart from its account with SAHCO.
The airline said its SAHCO account stood at N215.898 million and had been fully settled through payments made on September 28 and 29. XEJet also said it had not agreed to or defaulted on any payment plan with SAHCO when the AGHAN statement was issued. The airline described the publications as false, malicious and defamatory. It said the reports portrayed it as an airline that deliberately refused to pay its debts and suggested that it was unable to meet its financial obligations.
XEJet said the reports also caused creditors, aircraft lessors and business partners to seek clarification from its management about its financial position and operations. In the suit, the airline is seeking N10 billion in general damages for alleged libel, alongside N5 billion in aggravated and exemplary damages. It is also asking the court to order the defendants to publish a retraction and apology, remove the publications and stop further publication of the statements in question.
The airline is additionally seeking N50 million as the cost of the legal action.
