Headline

‘Qatar Airways Detains Nigerian For 18hrs, Forces Him To Sign Document Written In Arabic’

Published

1 hour ago

September 19, 2025

Qatar Airways meted out poor treatment to a Nigerian passenger by detaining him for 18 hours, compelling him to sign a document written in Arabic, and paying a hefty fine to secure his release.

The Nigerian passenger’s travails with the airline were revealed by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, in a statement.

According to Achimugu, a Qatar Airways crew member accused the Nigerian passenger of touching her buttocks while wheeling a passenger during boarding for a flight from Lagos to the United States (US) via Doha.

Achimugu added that the female crew member reported the incident when the flight landed in Doha, leading to the Nigerian’s arrest and detention.

“During the period, his wife suffered mental, physical, and psychological trauma without any form of care. She wondered how her husband could have committed such a despicable infraction given that she was with him throughout the boarding process,” Achimugu said.

He added that the authorities forced the Nigerian passenger to pay a hefty fine and sign a document written in Arabic to regain his freedom and proceed on his journey to the US.

Qatar Airways, however, refused to fly him to the US, prompting the Nigerian to buy tickets on another airline.

Achimugu also said the NCAA invited the country manager of Qatar Airways in Nigeria, but he sent his subordinates to attend in his stead.

“Upon invitation by the NCAA, the airline’s country manager, who has a penchant for evading meetings with the NCAA, only sent his subordinates to attend. However, the NCAA made a determination on that matter along with others.

“As has become typical of @qatarairways, they failed to comply with all determinations made from that meeting. They have also failed to treat subsequent complaints from other passengers escalated to them by the CAA, including total silence upon receipt of a letter of investigation (LOI) sent to them by the NCAA,” Achimugu added.

He condemned the act, adding that Nigeria will not tolerate infringement of consumer protection regulations by international airlines.

“This is not a situation that we would accept here. It is against the law for ANY airline not to respond to the NCAA. It is against the law to provide false information to the NCAA.

“It is against the law to fail to comply with the provisions of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023.”

Headline

Canada-based Nigerian Sets Guinness World Record For Longest Leadership Lesson

Published

5 hours ago

September 19, 2025

Editor

Nigerian-born leadership coach and author Peter Adeleke has officially set a new Guinness World Record for the longest leadership lesson, after teaching for 28 hours and 45 minutes in Calgary, Canada.

Adeleke, who embarked on the marathon lecture in August targeting between 30 and 48 hours, aimed to surpass the previous record of 24 hours.

In a post on Instagram on Monday, he announced that the Guinness World Records had approved his attempt, making him a title holder.

A screenshot of the confirmation email from GWR partly read, “We are thrilled to inform you that your application for the longest leadership lesson has been successful and you are now the Guinness World Records Title Holder!”

Confirming the record on its official website, GWR stated, “The longest leadership lesson is 28 hr 45 min and was achieved by Peter Adeleke (Canada), in Calgary, Canada, on 30 August 2025.

“Peter is an author, speaker and qualified leadership expert. He set out to achieve a record in the field to change the narrative of leadership.

“He hopes to raise the bar in leadership development and spark conversation around transformational leadership.”

Also, celebrating the milestone, Adeleke wrote on Instagram, “It’s official! He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms… Blessed be the Lord my strength which teacheth my hands to war, my fingers to fight, & my mouth to speak.

“I am humbled and honoured to officially announce that I am now a Guinness World Records Holder for the Longest Leadership Lesson in history.

“This journey was not by strength, but by grace, resilience, and the unwavering support of an incredible team. To God alone be the glory.”

On his website, he further explained why he did not reach his initial 48-hour goal, saying, “Originally, I had set out to teach for 48 hours, but I completed the feat in 28 hours instead.

“And I’ve learned that in leadership — and in life — success isn’t always about hitting the exact target you set. It’s about pushing boundaries, discovering your true limits, and creating meaningful impact along the way.

“Did I break the record? Yes, I did — and it’s now official and confirmed! What mattered most was surpassing the previous record of 24 hours, and I achieved that by delivering a leadership lesson that lasted 28 hours.”

This achievement makes Adeleke one of a growing number of Nigerians to hold a Guinness World Record.

In a similar development, celebrity chef Hilda Baci last week set a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice, weighing 8,780 kilogrammes (19,356 lb 9 oz) at the Gino World Jollof Festival in Lagos, making her a two-time GWR title holder.

In May 2023, she set the record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, cooking for 93 hours and 11 minutes, surpassing the previous record of 87 hours and 45 minutes held by Indian chef Lata Tondon.

Headline

Kimmel’s Suspension: Obama Slams Trump For ‘Dangerous’ Attack On Free Speech

Published

21 hours ago

September 19, 2025

Editor

Former United States President Barack Obama has condemned the suspension of the late-night show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel following remarks he made about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

In a post on X on Thursday, Obama described the suspension of the show as a dangerous attack on free speech led by President Donald Trump.

He wrote, “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.

“This is precisely the kind of government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent — and media companies need to start standing up rather than capitulating to it.”

Obama’s comments came after ABC, owned by Walt Disney, announced on Wednesday that Jimmy Kimmel Live had been suspended indefinitely.

The decision followed threats of a federal investigation into Kimmel’s remarks about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a close Trump ally who was shot and killed on September 10 while debating students at a Utah university.

During Monday’s broadcast, Kimmel accused Kirk’s supporters of using his assassination to “score political points.” At least one local ABC affiliate had already announced plans to stop airing the program before the network’s decision.

The suspension has sparked backlash from free speech advocates, who argue that the administration’s actions amount to political censorship.

Headline

Ghana To Take More West African Deportees From US

Published

21 hours ago

September 19, 2025

Editor

Ghana will receive another 40 West Africans deported from the United States in the coming days, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said, after the government revealed last week a deal had been struck with Washington.

Deporting people to third countries instead of their home nations has been a hallmark of US President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, notably by sending hundreds to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

Ghana President John Mahama announced last week that 14 deportees from the region had been sent to the country, sparking questions over their current whereabouts and pushback from the political opposition.

“On humanitarian grounds, pan-African solidarity, let us accept our fellow West Africans. And let’s make the point that Ghana is your home,” Ablakwa told Ghanaian broadcaster Channel1 TV late Wednesday.

He said the deportees, who are vetted before arrival, will be allowed to remain in Ghana temporarily, per regional visa-free travel rules, or return to their home countries.

The Ghanaian government previously said that many of the deported west Africans had already returned to their home countries — though lawyers in the United States say at least some of them are being held in military detention in Ghana in “cruel conditions”.

Five Nigerians and Gambians deported to Ghana were granted protection from deportation by immigration authorities in the United States, their lawyers said in a Tuesday statement.

If they continue on to their countries of origin, they risk “torture, persecution or death”, said Lee Gelernt, of the American Civil Liberties Union.

In an unprecedented move, Trump has overseen the deportation of hundreds of people to Panama, including some who were sent away before they could have their asylum applications processed.

Hundreds have also been sent to El Salvador, with the US administration invoking an 18th-century law to remove people it has accused of being Venezuelan gang members.

Some were sent despite US judges ordering the planes carrying them to turn around.

The deportation agreement with Ghana comes as Washington has hiked tariffs on Ghanaian goods and restricted visas issued to its nationals.