On Sunday, Medview Airline apologised to its passengers over the delay in arrival of some of their baggage from London to Lagos.
The airline issued the apology in a statement signed by its media consultant, Mr Oyibhota Obuke and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
The statement said the airline had dispatched a special flight to London on Saturday to airlift the left over baggage.
It said unfortunately, the aircraft returned without the affected baggage following the inability of Gatwick Airport authorities to screen them.
“Gatwick Airport had on arrival of the aircraft said it had no capacity to screen the baggage as only a handful of its workforce was on duty because of holiday.
“The airline regrets the inconveniences caused the affected passengers whose left over baggage are still in London by this unhealthy development.
“We thought by Sunday we would have resolved the left over baggage issue if not for Gatwick Airport authorities,” the statement quoted the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr Lookman Animashaun as saying.
It said another flight would leave for London on Monday to bring back home the left over baggage, and appealed to the affected passengers for their understanding.
London passengers of a Nigerian flag carrier, Med-View Airlines, created a scene at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos on Thursday in protest over their “missing” luggage.
The passengers, boarded Med-View aircraft from London to Lagos, only to arrive Tuesday morning without their valuables.
After two days of waiting in vain, the passengers resorted to open confrontation with airline officials, almost leading to the breakdown of law and order at the airport, but for the efforts of law enforcement agencies.
Reacting to the face off, Med-View said the development was due to “operational issues” on the side of the United Kingdom’s airport authority and delays in the screening of luggage, assuring that with fresh moves made would yield results.
NAN
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
