20 Years After: Families of victims of C-130 crash at Ejigbo abandoned (1)

[MrVan]

By Jide Ajani

He was a Squadron Leader, SL, in the Nigerian Air Force.That fateful Saturday afternoon of September 26, 1992, he had driven in the company of his junior brother, from the Air Force Base, Ikeja, to the Military/VIP Wing of the local airport.

There, a Hercules C-130 air plane was waiting for its human cargo.

The signs were ominous. This was a plane that was supposed to have taken off the previous day, a Friday. But it had developed a fault and, therefore, could not fly. By the following day, it was reportedly fixed and the intending passengers returned to the airport for their flight to Kaduna.

For the SL, his brother returned to the base with his car, in the hope that the benefactor of the family would fly and land safely in Kaduna.

Almost all of those on board were students of the Senior Course 15, of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, AFCSC, Jaji, Kaduna. The list included 104 Army officers, 17 Naval officers, 17 Airforce officers, eight foreign officers, 11 Nigerian Air Force crew and nine others.

There were a few civilians who had been caused to join the free flight which turned out to be a flight of death.

The flight finally took off at about 4:15pm.

The brother to the SL was just taking a stroll in the Base when he noticed people in groups discussing in hushed tones.

At a time when the Global System of Mobile telecommunication, GSM, had not made its entry into Nigeria, it was difficult to have access to information.  The young man moved closer to one of the groups to eves-drop on their conversation only to learn that there was a problem with the flight which had left the Lagos airport.

According to the brother last Friday (he refused to put his name in print because of the litigation being pursued by Femi Falana, SAN), "I rushed to the Officers' Mess that afternoon but found the place deserted.

"Our mother was in Ibadan at that time and because my brother was the bread winner of the family and the first child and first son, nobody could immediately relay the message to her.

File photo: a scene of plane crashed "The truth really was that even the military authorities did not have any information to volunteer.  Nobody knew what had happened other than that the control tower lost communication with the plane.

"That was how it happened. Worse still, the military authorities could not locate the spot where the plane had crashed. Men of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, were the first to reach the spot of the crash and this was 24hours after it happened.  The military team arrived another 24hours later.

"Because of what happened, when we eventually told our mother, she broke down and never recovered.  We moved her from one hospital to the other in the forlorn hope that she would stabilize.  She never did.

"She died six months later".

The story of this family typifies what other families whose member died in that crash went   through.

Most of those who died were bread winners of their families.

Some of them had very bright career prospects ahead.  It was during the military era and nothing could have stopped a few of them from becoming military administrators or board members of choice government agencies but death ended all that.

That Sunday, reports had it that only 27 bodies could be recovered. 72 hours later, 56 bodies were recovered only for all the bodies to be accounted for nine days later.

IN PART TWO, YOU WILL READ ABOUT THE RESPONSE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY; THE EFFORTS MADE SO FAR TO GET COMPENSATION FOR OFFICERS AND MEN ON NATIONAL DUTY: AND HOW THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN ABANDONED EVER SINCE

C – 130 Crash Victims

LIST 1: ARMY:-Lt Colonels

1. S.A. Onipede N/2888

2. A.J. Ibiyeye N/33300

3. J.A. Agber N/2712

4. B.A. Ibanga N/3315

5. J.O. Okafor N/2803

6. G.O. Ikoli N/5402

7. S.K. Aladesuyi N/3259

LIST 2: ARMY:- Majors

1. C.D. Nwambuowo N/5587

2. E. Ezenwa N/3039

3. M.H. Leramoh N/2889

4. S.O. Yawus N/5956

5. S.S. Agada N/5975

6. E.O. Amechi-Okoro N/5861

7. O.O. Mba N/5945

8. E.J. Onwe N/3196

9. S. Bature N/6085

10. T. Zubair N/5465

11. F.U. Bassey N/6018

12. O.G. Akise N/3207

13. J. Shija N/3217

14. A.B. Famowei N/5936

15. A.A. Itodo N/6043

16. J.O. Okobo N/6047

17. K.A. Opgwu N/6058

18. M.S. Dambata N/6063

19. P.S. Stephen N/3389

20. S.O. Amaga N/6095

21. C.U.M. La'ah N/6092

22. I.A. Abolade N/6102

23. W. Adaa N/6112

24. E.A. Ushibe N/6207

25. J. Ugo N/3356

26. S. Abubakar N/3459

27. G. Josiah N/4362

28. Y. Aliyu N/3471

29. G. Ismaila N/3474

30. M.I. Ukeh N/3191

31. S.A. Jibunoh N/6173

32. I.U. Odache N/3482

33. I.E. Mauzu N/6181

34. P.O. Bamidele N/6185

35. I.D. Nock N/6187

36. D.S. Oyelola N/6186

37. L. Nyanayo N/6192

38. N. Obie N/6195

39. R.N. Nwankwo N/6197

40. C.T. Akpe N/6208

41. R. Okeowo N/6291

42. R.A. Olufe N/6292

43. E. Egoro N/3423

44. A.G. Jegede N/3443

45. A.H. Dombe N/3477

46. P. Yaro N/3488

47. A.Y. Abbas N/4221

48. C.O. Egharevba N/4222

49. F. Ogbebor N/5460

50. B.A. Anebi N/5461

51. G.O. Oyefi N/5467

52. I.K. Nwuke N/5470

53. V.S. Kure N/5483

54. J.A. Tokula N/5484

55. T. Abina N/5486

56. B. Kadiri N/5489

57. C. Mungu N/5502

58. A.N. Ebiringa N/5506

59. O.A. Ogunaike N/6032

60. B.B. Sadiq N/4028

61. S.O Gbenro N/4646

62. T.I. Adahada N/4747

63. C.E. Ogben N/5102

64. O. Babalola N/5115

65. E.W. Ekanem N/5474

66. C.T. Arowololu N/3216

67. M.S.Ogbeha

68. I.J.Raiya

69. D.O.Okoroji

70. M.A.Agoyi

71. V.U.Mukoro

72. A.E.Mshelia

73. J.A.Audu

74. S.A.Oisamoye

75. A. Bala

76. M.A.D.Badamasi

77. E. Ukagha

78. K.E.Osula

79. N.A.Kajero

80. B. Daranijo

81. M.O.Ajibola

82. U.A.M.Balami

83. S. Omakwu

84. A.O.Obiora

85. A.A.Kawonta

86. C. Otti

87. O.O.Olusanya

88. O.J.Mbaka

89. P. Iyayi

90. T.O.Ogunjobi

91. G.N.Nze

92. H. Onwuegbunam

93. M.A. Pindar

95. O. Adebayo

96. B.O. Potsha

LIST 3: ARMY:- SGT

1. M. Bahagoo

LIST 4: ARMY:- CIVILIAN STAFF

1. O.B. Oshoodi – MOD

2. M.A. Abu (Mrs) – MOD

3. A. Okpe – Reporter.

LIST 5: AIR FORCE

1. Wg. Comdr. J.P. Alabesunu

2. Wg. Comdr. A.S. Mamadi

3. Sgn. Ldr. J.A. Adeiza

4. Flt. Lt. S.O. Adamu

5. WO. M.J. Wakala

6. P.S. Tarfa Saidu

7. WO. M.J. Datong

8. Sgt. A. Soyemi

9. Sgn. Ldr. Okon Okon Effiong

10.  John Husainu Tela

*11.  K. Odubanjo

12.  F.O. Akede

13.  Habu Saidu

14. A. Duson

15. T.A. Clement

16. R.O. Yusuf

17. S.O. Oyerinde

18. N.O. Alege

19. M.T. Njidda

20. J.K. Osho

21. E.O. Ikwue

22. M.M. Gumel

23. A.A. Ndule

24. E.J. Ekpong

25. A.O. Atteh

26. O.Jaja (VideoCameraman)

LIST 6: NAVY

1. Lt. Cdr. E. Obelen

2.  K.A. Fauka Bello

3.  S.O. Odusola

4.  O. Shiejir

5.  E.J. Gabriel

6.  A.O. Ojekunle

7.  K.O. Igwara

8.  A.O.G. Aboruwa

9.  S. Lasisi

10. A.A. Amaino

11. E.N. Okafor

12. T. Awoniyi

13. P. Asoro

14. P.N. Amangbo

15. O.O. Onabolu

16. J.O. Omokhuale

17. C.O. Ochigbono

TOTAL: 146

Vanguard Nigeria