News
Apartheid: Black Passengers Ordered Off American Airlines Plane
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Three black men have filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against American Airlines, with claims that they were removed from a flight after a complaint from an unidentified passenger about body odour.
The men, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal, alleged that they later realised it wasn’t about body odour but racial discrimination as all the blacks on the flight were removed.
The men, who were not seated together and did not know each other, say that every black man was removed from the 5 January flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York.
The reports added that each of the men had flown from Los Angeles earlier that day, with no issue.
The men had already taken their seats and were preparing to depart Phoenix when a flight attendant approached each of them and asked them to exit the plane, according to a federal lawsuit filed by a consumer advocacy group, Public Citizen.
The lawsuit adds that while the men waited outside the plane, the pilot made an announcement telling passengers that there was a delay due to an issue with “body odour”. The plaintiffs say the claim about odour was false.
“Throughout the flight – from the moment of their reboarding, in each interaction with the white male flight attendant, and continuing until landing – Plaintiffs experienced profound feelings of embarrassment, humiliation, anxiety, anger, and distress*
*“The act of returning to their seats after the unwarranted delay, navigating past the predominantly white passengers, several of whom eyed them with anger and undue suspicion, compounded their humiliation,” the lawsuit states
The lawsuit says that the airline should be forced to pay unspecified damages for the “trauma” the men endured.
At the flight gate, the three men, along with five others, were told by an airline agent that they had been “removed because a white male flight attendant had complained about an unidentified passenger’s body odour”.
American Airlines employees tried to re-book the men on other flights, but there were no other services to New York that night. The group was at that point allowed to re-take their seats on their original flight.
“American Airlines singled us out for being Black, embarrassed us, and humiliated us. There is no explanation other than the color of our skin. Clearly, this was racial discrimination,” the men said in a joint statement on Wednesday.*
However, the Texas-based airline said it was investigating the matter.
*”We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us.
“Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people,” American Airlines said in a statement*
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The sacked Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa on Thursday stated that he has resumed duty as the LSHA’s leader.
Recall that Obasa made a dramatic return after arriving at the Assembly Complex with security operatives today.
“I’ve resumed, and I remain the Speaker of the Assembly,” Obasa told reporters on the premises of the House.
Asked whether he has been reinstated as speaker, Obasa said, “I’ve never been removed. Impeachment or removal is democratic and constitutional but in doing that, you must follow the due process. I am not against that. If I do that, then I am not democratic.”
Details to follow…
By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to appoint a substantive Auditor-General for the Area Councils without delay, in accordance with legal provisions.
This decision was sequel to a resolution adopted during the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing on Wednesday, 26th February 2025, in Abuja.
The committee noted that the absence of a substantive Auditor-General had hindered the signing and submission of audited financial reports, a process mandated by the constitution.
During the session, the Acting Auditor-General for the Area Councils, Abdullahi Ibn Salihu, made a presentation, and in response, the committee chairman, Rep. Bamidele Salam, emphasised the urgency of the matter, leading to the adoption of a motion for immediate action.
He said: “Honourable colleagues, I think we should also step into this. Like I said, when we resumed in October 2023, the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation in Nigeria was vacant for about 2 years. The former President, President Muhammadu Buhari refused to make an appointment. And so, audit reports were not submitted. So, when we came in, myself and the Senate counterpart decided to write letters to the President and make some advocacy upon which a substantive was appointed.
“If they have the same case, I think we will also need to step in so that we can call on the Minister. We may need to write to him and invite him. Maybe he has reasons why that appointment has not been made. I think we should. We should actually have a resolution on this also”.
Earlier, during a review of the financial reports of FCT Area Councils, Acting Auditor-General, Abdullahi Ibn Salihu, clarified that most of the financial discrepancies flagged by the committee occurred under previous administrations, as he has only been in office for six months.
Key concerns raised included the failure to submit audited financial reports for 2023-2024, non-remittance of pension deductions to the Pension Commission (PENCOM), and the withholding of available audit reports from the committee.
Rep. Billy Osawaru stressed the need for strict enforcement of legal provisions against the Auditor-General’s office, insisting that such lapses must not persist.
To ensure a thorough review, a five-member sub-committee, led by Rep. Tochukwu Okere, was established to investigate and provide recommendations. Other members include Rep. Ajiya Abdulrahman, Rep. Mandara Usman, Rep. Mauruff Adebayo, and Rep. Mohammed Bargaja.
In attendance were Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Chairman, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, and Bwari Chairman, Hon. John Gabaya, while Kuje and Kwali were represented by their vice chairmen.
By Emmanuel Agaji
Association of Retired Police Officers, Kaduna chapter protest on Police Bills entered day three today, February 27, 2025, Thursday at the National Assembly.
Naijablitznews reports that some of the placards being displayed by the retired simply indicate that the output and input of November 19th, 2024 public hearing on the Bills should be implemented.
They equally supported the fact that the police force should exit the contributory scheme.
The very aged retired officers could be seen sighted sitting under the son bearing placards which they display for motorists to look at.
See photos:
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