Metro

US Returnee Tackles Airline Over Missing Luggage, Rejects $1,700 Compensation

Published

4 years ago

June 17, 2022

A lawyer, identified only as Abimbola, has lamented the loss of his property after he boarded a Delta Airline flight from Atlanta, United States of America, to Lagos.

Abimbola said efforts to recover the items since March 16, 2022, when the incident happened, had been abortive, alleging negligence on the side of the airline.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the legal practitioner and his wife travelled from Newark to Lagos via Atlanta.

The couple were reportedly requested to check in their carry-on luggage by the airline staff because the flight was fully booked without space in the aircraft cabin for loads.

The duo were said to have hesitated in releasing the luggage, but eventually dropped it with the Delta baggage handlers.

Abimbola, who was travelling with his wife for his 60th birthday celebration in Lagos, stated that he observed that his items were missing when he arrived in Lagos.

He listed the lost items to include a black Louis Vuitton cross-body vintage bag gifted to him by his wife for his 50th birthday, a pair of Versace transition sunglasses, another pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, a Movado wristwatch, two Apple laptops, an Apple CD loader, Apple air pods, a box with gold jewellery and other acquisitions.

He noted that he initially suspected the driver assigned to carry his family’s load from the airport.

“On March 20, 2022, I lodged a formal complaint at a local police station (Maroko Police Station) in Lagos and a police detective, Mrs Awe, was assigned to investigate it. This was because our entire luggage was in his (driver’s) custody.

“After the questioning, we concluded that there was merely circumstantial evidence, which did not establish any sufficient wrongdoing on the part of the driver,” he added.

Abimbola stated that he made further attempts by tracking his stolen Airpods with his US phone to a private house 10 minutes away from the Atlanta airport.

Upon the discovery, the lawyer said attempts to reach the Delta airline were abortive.

He said after several attempts to reach the airline’s help desk in Atlanta also failed, an official of the aviation company, identified as Tracy Adkins, contacted him.

The lawyer said, “She called me again the second time on the same day and we spoke at length during which she dropped a hint that regardless of whatever claim I may submit, the maximum compensation Delta will offer is $1,700.

“This is a slap on my face, a violation of my person and an assault on my dignity.”

Abimbola told PUNCH Metro that some of the items had “sentimental value” and that if he was flying to London as a British citizen, he would have been treated with more respect.

His lawyer, Akinwale Akintomiwa, said he would sue for damages on behalf of his client.

He said, “We are still putting our facts together and preparing the court processes. We have yet to file the matter in court. We will write a formal letter of demand stating that he (the victim) should be fully compensated rather than the meagre sum of $1,700 which Delta offered. “

Akintomiwa stated that the case would be taken seriously because of the perceived discrimination on the part of the airline.

He said, “From the facts of this case, there is absolutely no gainsaying the fact that the airline is liable for this egregious breach. The airline is in clear breach of the contract to transport him and his goods to Lagos safely and they are liable. The principle of law is that where there is a wrong, there must be a remedy. Ubi jus ubi remedium.”

The lawyer said Abimbola might be seeking various reliefs from the court, including an order compelling the company to pay the sum of N17,751,000 and the sum of 5,000,000 as general damages for the loss of the valuables.

The Director, Corporate Communications, Delta Airline, Olivia Cullis, in an e-mail to the media consultant of the airline, which was shared with PUNCH Metro, stated that the company had investigated the incident.

She said, “Delta works to put our customers front and centre of our business every day. We launched an internal investigation into this incident and responded to the Department of Transportation following the customer’s complaint. The response included Delta making a settlement directly with the customer, which adheres to guidelines set by the Montreal Convention.”

Efforts to reach the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, on the incident via calls and text messages were abortive.

Despite repeated attempts, our correspondent did not get any response as of the time of filing this report.

PUNCH.

Metro

My Wife Started Bringing Home Her Lovers After She Sent Me, My First Wife Packing —Husband

Published

7 hours ago

December 27, 2025

Editor

…He must give our child N30,000 monthly for food if he’s insisting on divorce —Wife

A man, Abass, has approached Grade A Customary Court, Court 2, sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, to seek that it dissolve the union between him and his wife, Bolaji, on the grounds of disobedience, adultery and threat to his life by the latter.

Abass stated that Bolaji was troublesome and made their home non-conducive for him and his first wife.

Abass also said that he almost lost his job after Bolaji extended her unruly behaviour to his office, where she came to fight him and turned the whole premises upside down.

According to him, the timely intervention of the police saved the situation.

The plaintiff added further that Bolaji sent his first wife packing, while he also moved out of their house a few months after this when it became obvious she was bent on snuffing life out of him.

Abass explained that Bolaji threw caution in the air immediately he moved out of the house and started bringing her lovers into the house.

These men, he stated, did spend the night with her.

The plaintiff said he went home early one morning and saw the defendant seeing one of them off.

Abass told the court he has had enough of his wife’s atrocities and thus prayed for the dissolution of their union.

According to the plaintiff, the defendant took to threatening him since he dragged her to court.

Bolaji refused that their union be dissolved, giving the welfare of the only child produced by their union as excuse.

Abass in his testimony said, “Bolaji and I met in 2019 and I paid her bride price.

“I already had a wife when I met her, and the three of us were living together after she moved in with me.

“Bolaji started misbehaving early in our marriage.

“She was always at loggerheads with my first wife; she showed no regard for her and sought every opportunity to fight her.

“Any time I tried to caution her, she would flare up and accuse me of taking sides with her rival.

“Peace deserted us in the home because Bolaji made it hell to live in.

“Bolaji fought me and my first wife on regular basis.

“I almost lost my job when she came to my office to fight me.

“It took the intervention of the policemen before sanity could be restored.

“The embarrassment and shame he exposed me to have not left me till date.

“Bolaji made my first wife life so miserable that she packed her belongings and moved out of the house.

“I saw hell in the few months I was left alone with Bolaji; she almost snuffed life out of me.

“I had no choice than to move out our house.

“Bolaji threw caution in the air immediately I left our home.

“She started dating other men and even had the audacity to bring them into our home.

“These men normally spent the night with her.

“I decided to visit home one faithful day very early in the morning and I saw her seeing one of her lovers off.

“My lord, I can no longer tolerate Bolaji’s loose and indecent lifestyle.

“She now threatens and swears to make my life miserable and unbearable.

“I pray this honourable court to rule that we are no longer husband and wife.

“I in addition request an order restricting her from threatening me.”

Bolaji responded, “My lord, he lied that he paid my bride price.

“We did not hold any marital rites, neither was I handed over to him by my parents.

“I do not agree to divorce because of our child’s welfare.

“I have a child from my first marriage and do not want our child’s fate to be like that of my first child.

“But if the court eventually dissolves our marriage, I plead that it mandates my husband to give me N30, 000 every month for our child’s feeding.”

The court president, Mrs O.E. Owoseni, gave her judgement after she had heard both parties state that the plaintiff did not cross-examine the defendant in respect of non-payment of bride price and subsequent handing over to him as wife.

Owoseni stated that he has by implication admitted that he did not pay bride price nor was handed over to him as wife.

She added that the ingredients validating marriage under customary law was absent, which meant that they were never married, but merely cohabiting.

Consequently, there was no marriage to be dissolved.

Owoseni further stated that since the plaintiff was no longer interested in cohabiting with the defendant, both parties were, therefore, ordered to go their different ways.

She also explained that based on the unchallenged evidence that the defendant was fond of fighting and causing trouble, the defendant was restrained from harassing, threatening, disturbing and or interfering with the plaintiff’s private life.

The defendant was granted custody of their child, while the plaintiff was given reasonable access to him.

The plaintiff was ordered to pay N30,000 monthly to the defendant for their child’s upkeep.

Metro

‘My Husband Saved My Name As ‘My Sister’ On His Phone, Lied To His Lovers He Was Single’

Published

7 hours ago

December 27, 2025

Editor

A cheating man of Lusaka, Zambia, has found himself in court after his wife discovered that her number was saved as ‘My Sister’ on his phone.

The act was a way of concealing his wife’s identity from his three side chicks that he had lied to that he was single.

According to the Zambia Daily Mail, this is in a matter where Pricilla Tembo sued her husband, Tyros Banda, for reconciliation.

Pricilla narrated that the two had been married since 2012 and together, they had produced one offspring.

She said that Banda, a civil engineer by profession, changed into a beast after he was transferred to Kasama, where he allegedly found ‘biological roads’ to grade.

She explained that since his transfer, the husband would only visit home once a year and in those one-off visits, he would only have sex with her once.

According to Pricillia, Banda gets angry anytime she initiates s3x.

The aggrieved wife told the court that her husband had impregnated other women while leaving her with only a child.

She alleged that as it stands, Banda had fathered three children from three women.

In his defense, Banda said the difficulties in their marriage were linked to his wife’s miscarriages and her reliance on ‘bwela tupange’ kind of ministries and traditional healers.

In his judgement, the magistrate, Lewis Mumba, advised the wife to proceed with a divorce petition against her husband as infidelity and deprivation are grounds for divorce.

Metro

My Wife Threatens Me With Knife, Goes About With Charms, Man Tells Court

Published

7 hours ago

December 27, 2025

Editor

Grade A Customary Court, Court 2, sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has ruled in a divorce suit brought before it by a man, Akindele, against his wife, Salamotu, whom he accused of lack of care, constant fight and domestic violence.

Akindele stated that Salamotu was a difficult person to live with.

The plaintiff said that the defendant shed his responsibilities towards him as wife, and made their home unwelcoming for their family members and friends.

Akindele explained that Salamotu was not only hostile and mean but also violent.

According to Akindele, he goes to bed with one eye open because he knows that his life is not safe with his wife.

The plaintiff gave an instance of when the defendant drew a knife at him during a fight.

He stated that he would have been a dead man by now but for providence.

Akindele further said that Salamotu at another time broke down the door of their apartment.

He added that Salamotu was diabolic in nature and that he sometimes found charms and strange objects in their rooms and corners of their apartment.

The plaintiff stated that peace has deserted him since he got married to his wife.

Akindele, therefore, entreated the court to stop their relationship.

Salamotu was absent in court the first time the case was mentioned.

The court president, Mrs. O.E. Owoseni, adjourned the case and ordered that a fresh hearing notice be issued and served on the defendant.

Akindele in his evidence said, “My lord, the only mistake I ever made in life was that of getting married to my wife.

“I was head over heels in love with my wife when we met and failed to study her character.

“Her father instructed that we hold no marital rites and also refused that I pay her bride price.

“He handed my wife over to me and we both left for my place joyously.

“My lord, that was the last time my wife and I both laughed together

“I have lost my peace since my wife and I started living together because she is ill-mannered.

“She has no respect for me as the head of the home and also treats me with scorn.

“My wife never gives ear to my counsel; neither does she take to correction.

“She nags almost all the time and is in the habit of fighting me.

“I find no comfort in our home because it is void of peace.

“Our family members now keep their distance from us because my wife’s hostility makes them feel unwelcome when they pay us visits, while my friends now desert me.

“My wife goes wild when she is angry and becomes violent.

“She hits me with anything within her reach.

“I would have been a dead man by now when she drew a knife at me but for posterity’s sake.

“I sleep with one eye open since then because I believe she can do anything to harm me.

“She at another time became fierce during a misunderstanding and broke down the door to our apartment.

“My wife’s attitude got worse after she became diabolic.

“She now keeps charms and strange objects in our rooms and corners of our apartments which are horrifying.

“My lord, my wife has made a mess of my life enough.

“I am no longer interested in our marriage. I want divorce.”

The court president, Mrs O.E Owoseni, in her judgment stated that there was no subsisting marriage between the duos but that they were mere co habiting because no marital rite held and the bride price was not paid.

She added that since the plaintiff stated that he is no longer interested in their marriage, and that the defendant made no effort to save her marriage, the court had no choice than to grant the plaintiff his prayers

Owoseni ruled that the two go their different ways.

She also gave an order restraining the defendant from threatening and interfering with the plaintiff’s private life.