Nigerian lawyer, author, and entrepreneur Ike C. Ibe, on Saturday, June 3, paid tributes to his wife and daughter, who both died in the ill-fated Dana Air plane that crashed in Lagos 11 years ago.
Ibe, a former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, took to his Twitter page to pay homage to the duo.
Sharing their photos, Ibe wrote:
“Dana air crash. Nigerian national corruption. Exactly 11 years today. They’re still singing in heaven. Continue to Rest in the bosom of the Lord, my dearest wife Nancy, and my lovely daughter Jennifer. Ora pro nobis.”
Dana Air Flight 0992 was a scheduled Nigerian domestic passenger flight from Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria. On June 3, 2012, the McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft serving suffered a dual-engine failure while approaching Nigeria’s commercial capital.
The incident killed all 153 passengers and crew and six people on the ground.
It was described as Nigeria’s worst aviation disaster since an Alia Royal Jordanian Airlines Boeing 707 crashed in Kano in 1973, killing 176 passengers and crew.
Ajuta Theresa Oby consoled Ibe by recollecting what happened on the day.
She wrote:
“I can still remember that unfortunate incident born out of corruption in the land. It was out of someone’s negligence that this disaster happened, and still, nothing has changed. May their beautiful souls continue to rest in God. Take heart, Sir.”
Chukwuka Smart wrote:
“The Nigerian government has been playing politics with our lives, and many that should be heard loudly are not saying anything because it has not affected them directly or indirectly.”
Nana Sani Kazaure wrote:
“Please accept my heartfelt sympathies and condolences. I pray for comfort, strength, and peace for your aching heart and your entire family. May paradise be their final abode.”
The pilot-in-command of the Dana Air jet, Captain Peter Waxtan, had previously been suspended by the United States Federal Aviation Administration for violating safety regulations, according to a report released by the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau.
Nigerian aviation authorities suspended Dana’s operating licence on June 5, 2012, two days after the crash. But it was briefly allowed to resume operation in January 2013 after meeting some safety standards but did not start entire operations until January 2014.
After the crash of Flight 992, Nigeria’s aviation safety has improved significantly, and the country has managed to retain its category 1 aviation safety rating.
