Achonu, through his lawyer, Okwudili Anozie, filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/755/2024 beforeJustice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja. In the writ of summons dated May 29 and filed May 31, the politician sued British Airways as the sole defendant, wherein he sought five claims.
Achonu demanded a refund of the fare paid for the ticket purchased by him from the defendant for the Lagos-Houston return journey amounting to the sum of £16,505.00 (sixteen thousand five hundred and five pounds sterling).
He also prayed the court to order the airline to pay the sum of ₦200 million as general damages. He equally sought a 20% interest per annum on his claim number one above, from December 21, 2022, when the defendant cancelled his booking until judgment was delivered in the suit.
Achonu further sought a 10% interest per annum from the date of judgment until the judgment sum is fully liquidated. He, therefore, sought compensation for the cost of the suit. In his statement of claim, Achonu, who described himself as a businessman, said he is a premium traveller with British Airways “and is a gold member of the defendant’s executive club.”
He said he purchased the airline’s first-class ticket for his trip to Houston through London for £16,505.00 (sixteen thousand, five hundred and five pounds sterling) for his return trip from Lagos-Houston.
“The ticket with booking reference number M7NORM outlined that the defendant’s flight would take off on 15 December 2022 from Lagos, arrive in London on 16 December 2022, take off from London on 21 December 2022 and arrive in Houston same day.
“For the return journey, the Houston – London trip was scheduled for 11 January 2023 and the London — Lagos trip was fixed for 11 January 2023.
“The plaintiff pleads and shall rely on a copy of his ticket.
“The plaintiff travelled from Lagos to London on the 15 December 2022 without any encumbrance.
“However, on reaching London, the plaintiff had a business engagement that necessitated extending his stay in London.
“Prior to the plaintiff’s departure date from London, he informed the defendant’s office of his intention to change his travelling date to Houston from 21/12/2022 to 22/12/2022 for which he was charged $563 (five hundred and sixty-three United States dollars).
“The plaintiff informed the defendant’s staff that he has an outstanding voucher with over $4000 that should be used to settle the sum but this request was refused by the defendant whose staff insisted that the defendant’s E-Voucher was unacceptable for the service and that the plaintiff has to make a fresh payment to effect the date change.”
According to him, the defendant’s staff vehemently refused for the $563 to be deducted from the plaintiff’s E-voucher number: 125-421 4295529 issued to him by the defendant. He said he decided to use the debit card attached to his company’s bank account since the airline refused the request that payment should be deducted from the E-voucher.
“But the same was refused by the defendant’s staff who insisted the plaintiff must use a bank card bearing his own name.
“The defendant’s staff had further informed the plaintiff that his ticket would be cancelled for failure to pay the $563 date change fee with his personal bank card and therefore the unused London-Houston journey, as well as the Houston-Lagos return journey stands forfeited.
“As a result of the defendant’s action, the plaintiff had to source funds to purchase an entirely new ticket with which he made his trip from London to Houston and back to Nigeria.
“The plaintiff, who is a first-class traveller and a gold member of the defendant’s executive club deserved a better treatment than what was meted out to him by the defendant,” Achonu said.
The businessman insisted that British Airways’ refusal to use the funds in the E-voucher it had issued to him or apply his company’s debit card to defray the cost of the date change did not align with the airline’s contract with him.
According to him, the defendant’s inordinate actions have foisted undue stress and financial loss on the plaintiff.
“The plaintiff is left with no other choice but to seek redress from this honourable court,” he added.
Upon resumed hearing in the suit, Gregory Ukpong, who appeared for Achonu, told the court that though the matter was fixed for mention, he had a little mix-up about service.
“In the circumstance, we will be asking for a further date,” Ukpong stated.
“You filed this matter on 25 May 2024. Today is 29 October 2024 and you are coming to talk about service,” Justice Ekwo asked him rhetorically.
The lawyer responded that they mobilised the bailiff for service but they just realised that there was a mix-up.
“You may not be as lucky as you are today next time as I might have to penalise you,” the judge said and adjourned the matter until February 19, 2025, for further mention.
Several top dignitaries from Nigeria and beyond gathered in Abuja on Friday, February 6, for the wedding fatiha of ten children of the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, all of whom were married on the same day.
The wedding ceremony held in the National Mosque Abuja after which they proceeded to a big hall where the reception for all 10 children took place.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu was in attendance and even received the brides on behalf of the Matawalles into the family.
The President of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova, also attended the ceremony alongside Tinubu.
Also present were the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jubril Barau, and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Politics and Other Matters, Ibrahim Masari.
Governors at the event included Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto State, Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, and Nasir Idris of Kebbi State.
Matawalle, a former governor of Zamfara State, gave out five of his daughters: Maryam, Safiyya, Farida, Nana Firdausi, and Aisha, in marriage.
Five of his sons: Ibrahim, Abdul Jalal, Surajo, Bello, and Fahad, also got married on the same day.
The officiating Imam, Prof. Luqman Zakariyah,
prayed to Allah to bless the marriages, grant success to the couples in their life journeys, and bless their parents and grandparents.
On X (formerly Twitter) Matawalle thanked Tinubu for serving as “Wali” at his children’s wedding fatiha which held at the National Mosque Abuja.
Nigerians took to the post to express outrage that Tinubu attended the wedding but did not go to Kwara State where terrorists k!lled scores of innocent citizens just hours earlier.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUdPW_4DJOV/?igsh=YmxyMTY3OGZqcWlz
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on Friday participated in a wreath-laying ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the death of the late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, GCFR.
The event was attended by notable dignitaries, including Senator Daisy Danjuma, wife of retired Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma; Dr Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, daughter of the late General and CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation; her husband, Gbenga Oyebode; and Hon. Bola Oladunjoye, Chairman of Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, among other officials and guests.
Wreaths were laid at the cenotaph in honour of General Muhammed, celebrating his life, leadership, and enduring contributions to Nigeria.
General Murtala Ramat Muhammed served as Nigeria’s Head of State from July 1975 until his assassination on February 13, 1976.
His leadership was abruptly ended when his convoy was ambushed in Ikoyi, Lagos, during a failed coup attempt, resulting in his death alongside his driver and aide-de-camp.
Following his assassination, leadership passed to his deputy, Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo, who continued the transition to civilian governance.
Fifty years later, commemorative activities are being held throughout February 2026, including exhibitions, policy dialogues, memorial gatherings, and wreath-laying ceremonies, highlighting General Muhammed’s legacy and enduring impact on Nigeria’s history.
By Christian ABURIME
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo has ordered the immediate shut down of the Onitsha Main Market for one week, following defiance of the market leadership to open, against government directive.
Governor Soludo’s order for a one-week shutdown of the sprawling market is more than an administrative penalty. It is the latest, and perhaps most drastic, salvo in a protracted war over who controls time and economic life in Southeast Nigeria on mondays. The enemy is the long-standing, fear-enforced Monday sit-at-home order, a ghostly mandate from non-state actors that has strangled businesses and normalized weekly monday sit-at-home for years.
The Governor’s move is a direct response to what the government sees as baffling defiance. Despite repeated assurances of enhanced security and appeals to reclaim public spaces, many traders at the iconic market again chose to keep their stalls locked. Their absence was a quiet rebellion, but one that spoke volumes about the lingering climate of apprehension.
“The government cannot stand by while a few individuals willfully undermine public safety and disregard official directives meant to restore normalcy, this is plain economic sabotage. We are not going to allow this”, Governor Soludo stated, framing the closure as a protective measure for the “law-abiding citizen.” But his subsequent warning carried the weight of an escalating ultimatum: if the market does not reopen for business after this one-week shutdown, it will be sealed for a month. “And so on and so forth,” he added, drawing a line in the sand.
“You either decide that you are going to trade here or you go elsewhere. I am very serious about this”, the Governor insisted.
The scene at the market was one of tense enforcement. A joint task force of police, army, and other security personnel moved swiftly to secure the perimeter, turning away the few hopefuls who approached.
For the Soludo administration, the solution is unwavering enforcement to break a psychological barrier. The strategy is clear: make the cost of compliance with the illegal sit-at-home order higher than the fear that drives it. By targeting the economic heart of the region, the government aims to trigger a collective shift in behavior, betting that the traders’ desire to trade will ultimately outweigh their fear.
As the gates remain locked this week, the standoff in Onitsha encapsulates the broader struggle in the Southeast. It is a fight over normalcy, authority, and the fragile psyche of a populace caught between enforced directives and imposed orders. When the gates are scheduled to reopen next Monday, all eyes will be on the traders. Will they return to their stalls, emboldened by the state’s show of force? Or will the silent, empty aisles deliver a different verdict?
The answer will determine not just the fate of a market, but the rhythm of life in Anambra for Mondays to come.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DT-PAX-DIAi/?igsh=bzVxOGgzcTF0OG5k
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GOVERNOR FUBARA APPOINTS COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR KEN SARO-WIWA POLYTECHNIC BORI
