-President Jonathan Declares 3 Days of Mourning
NIGERIA National Petroleum Spokesman, Dr. Levi Ajuonoma, was among the 147 passengers and 6 crew members who perished in a Dana Air-operated flight that crashed Sunday morning on its way into Lagos from the nation’s capital of Abuja.
Eyewitnesses said that the Boeing MD-80 plane hit power cables as it descended towards the runway, while others said that it hit a furniture shop and then into residential buildings in the neighborhood. The plane did not appear to have nosedived, but rather land on its belly. Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian president, declared three days of national mourning, while Princess Stella Oduah, the aviation minister was said to be on her way to the scene of the accident as at press time.
The casualty figure is likely to increase because 10 bodies were reported retrieved from a collapsed building at the site of the crash. A burning fire and the activities of looters at the scene hampered rescue efforts at the crash scene.
Harold Demure, the head of Nigeria’s civil aviation authority told journalists that it was unlikely that there were any survivors in the crash.
“I don’t believe there are any survivors,” he said. There was an unknown number of people on the ground.
Hundreds of residents swarmed the area to see what had happened. “It was flying low with a lot of noise for about five minutes before it crashed into the residential area,” one resident said. “It then burst into flames.”
Another resident, Tunji Dawodu, said he had been coming out of church at around 3.30pm when he heard “a loud noise”.
“I thought it was an explosion,” he said. “Then there was a huge flame from the building where the plane has crashed into.”
Relatives of those
onboard began gathering at both Lagos and Abuja airshports desperate for news of their loved ones. Among those on board were said to be Levi Ajuonuma, the spokesman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, as well as some senior military officials, including three army generals.
Nigerian Aviation News website reported that the plane had suddenly disappeared from the radar scope of the Lagos Air Traffic Control, and communication from the tower to the pilot was lost. There were reports that the crew issued a May Day call around 11 miles from Lagos after the plane caught fire.
A spokesman for Dana Air confirmed one of its planes had crashed but could not immediately provide further details.
“I can confirm that one of our planes crashed today on the outskirts of Lagos,” Tony Usidamen told AFP. “We lost communication with the aircraft.”
Since its inaugural flight from Lagos to Abuja in November 2008, Dana Air has grown to become one of Nigeria’s leading airlines operating more than 18 daily flights to Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Uyo, carrying up to 1.26 million passengers up to December 2011. According to the airline’s website, it was awarded the title of “Best Safety and Security Conscious Airline in Nigeria” at the Security Watch Africa Awards in September 2010.
According to a Nigerian aviation blog, the plane was a former Alaska Airlines plane built in 1990.
The fatal crash follows another incident involving a Dana Air plane just days earlier. On May 10, a plane flying from Uyo made an emergency landing at Lagos Airport, following ‘loss of hydraulic pressure’.
Lagos has a population of around 15 million and its international airport is a major hub for West Africa, seeing 2.3 million passengers pass through it in 2009.
Not a few well-known names died in the crash besides Dr. Ajuonoma, the former NNPC spokesman, who was also a pastor of the pentecostal Mountain of Fire and Miracles church. The son of former military vice-president and naval chief Augustus Aikhomu, Ehime Aikhomu, also died in the crash.
The manifest reveals the following: Onyeka Anyene; Hurria Lawal; Maimuna Anyene; Bakisumiadi Yindadi; Ebuka Enuma; Oluchi Onyeyiri; Sunday Enuma; George Moses; Ogechi Njoku; Noah Anyene; Kamsiyona Anyene; Stanford Obrutse; Kaiyenotochi Anyene; Okeke Hope; Rev. Ayodeji Cole; Ngozi Cole; Noah Anyene; Ailende Ehi; Oluwasegun Funmi Abiodun; and Shehu Sahad Usman.
Others were Alade Martins; Onita Jennifer (Mrs); Onita Josephine; Ike Ochonogo; Joy Alison; John Ahmadu; Akowe Fatokun Anjola; Fatokun Olaoluwa; Fatokun Ibukun; Buhari Maikudi; Amina Idris Bugaje; Ajani Adenle; IkeAbugu; Adijolola Abraham; Obot Emmanuel; Otegbeye Hadiza; Ehioghae Sunny; Onwuriri Celestine; Abikalio Otatoru; Noris Kim; Eyo Bassey; Njoku Charles; Anibaba Tosin; Okocha Christopher; Sobowale Femi; and Phillip Chukwu Ebuka.
Others were Sparagano Lawrence; Somolu Oluwakemi; Ariyibi Temitope; Meche Eke; Ojugbana Amaka; Ojugbana Christopher; Buna Walter; Coker Olumide; Lilian Lass; Mutittir Itsifanus; Yusuf Alli; Lt. Col. Jumbo Ochigbo; Eribake Wale; Zhai Shuta;
Also on the list were Wang Yu; P. Awani; O. Awani; N. Chidiac; Rijoel Dhose; Li Hizha; Apochi Godwin; Lang Yi; Yinusa Ahmed; Faysal Inusa; Mojekwu Adaobi; Ibrahim D; Bamaiyi Adamu; Ifekowa Jones; Peter Nosike; Anthony Nwaokocha; Mahmud Aliyu; Nnadi John; Akweze Elizabeth; Dorothy Adedunni; Echeidu Ibe; Maria Okulehi; Jennifer Ibe; Okoko junjip; Sarah Mshelia; Ahmed Mbana; Okonji Patrick; Oyosoro Rajuli; Oyosoro Ugbabio; Kaikai Farida; David Kolawole Fortune; Eyinoluwa David Kolawole; Kaltum Abubakar; and Dakawa Mahmud.
Others were Patience Sunday Udoh; Asuquo Iniebong; Onemonelese Aimeihi; Onyeagocha Chidinma; Onyeagocha Ogechi; Ike Okoye; Amaka Raphael; Ijeoma Onyinjuke; Garba Abdul; Aisha Abdul; Benson Oluwayomi; Anthony Opara; Taiwo Lamidi; Awodogan Olusanmi; Obi Chinwe; Shaibu Memuna; Major I.G Mohammed; Nagidi Ibrahim; Attah Anthonia; Shaibu Sam; Ifeanyi Orakwe; Obinna Akubueze; Li Rui; Xie Zhenfeng; Oko Eseoghene; Chukwuemeka Okere; Adetunbi Adebiyi; Ibrahim Mantakari; Was Ruth; Wasa Awiyetu; Ojukwu Alvana; Lawal Anakobe; Nabil Garba; Mohammed Falmata; Ibrahim Jangana; Okikiolu Olukayode; Komolafe Olugbenga; Dike Chinwe; Dike Chike Ezugo; Olusola Arokoyo; Adetola Ayoola; Akinola Olumodeji; Olukoya Banji Saka Otaru; Adeleke Oluwadamilare; Yusuf Ibrahim; Ikpohi Obiola; Aikhomu Ehimen; Levi Ajuonuma; Mbong Eventus.