DNA Result Of Dana Plane Crash Victims Is Out

The Deoxyrebonucleic Acid, DNA, test results for the victims of the Dana plane crash of June 3, 2012 done in the United Kingdom, have arrived the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, with 107 bodies now identified.

Among the identified bodies were those of the former General Manager, Public Relations of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, the late Levi Ajuonuma, Hope Okeke, Ehime Aikhomu, and Yu Rui among others.

However, Consultant Forensic Pathologist and Chief Examiner, Prof. John Obafunwa, said 16 bodies could not be identified probably because of heat, mangled bodies or the samples collected could not match with any of the charred bodies.

This was coming on the heels of a closed-door meeting by the Lagos State Government and relatives of the victims at LASUTH, Ikeja, Wednesday.

Confirming the development to newsmen after the meeting, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said: “We have results of the analysis from the UK, and experts are reviewing the results. We felt it is necessary to brief the relatives of the victims.

“Part of the aim is to let them know the processes for collection of the bodies. We will start releasing the bodies tomorrow in batches of 20 to prevent chaos. The other important reason for briefing them is to acquaint them with the legal issues involved like the issue of next-of-kin.

“For instance, if the next-of-kin is not available, only the person he or she authorises to collect the body will be attended to. Identification documents such as international passport, National identity card or driver’s licence. Death certificates will equally be issued for the deceased.”

Idris said the bodies would be released in alphabetical order to ease the process.
Meanwhile, the names of the victims identified have been pasted at the Lekan Ogunshola Memorial Morgue and relatives were expected to come with appropriate documents to claim the bodies.

He noted that in cases where the next-of-kin is not available to claim the bodies, the hospital would only release bodies to spouses, parents, siblings, half-sisters and nephews who present legal documents authorised by the next of kin.

He said: “It is only the next-of-kin that we are to release the bodies to by law, but in cases where they cannot come, we will release to the spouse, parents, children, half-sisters and brothers and siblings in that order.”

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I Still Call My Husband's Phone Number - Bridget Widow Of Dana Crash Victim

 

Bridget, widow of Lt. Col. Owoicho Ochigbo, says she still calls her late husband on the telephone hoping to hear his voice two months after his death in the June 3 Dana plane crash in Lagos.

She said this in an interview with our correspondent after the Service of Songs of Ochigbo at the Ribadu Cantoment, Kaduna on Wednesday. According to Bridget, she heard the news of the crash on the television.

She said, “I prayed that there were survivors, my husband would be number one because I know him as a person who loved to fight for what he wanted.”.....Continue.

According to her, they planned to have their wedding anniversary on June 9, saying that she had no regrets “having him as my husband and the father of my children.”

She said when she lost her mother barely a year ago, her late husband was her pillar and strength.

She added, “It has not been easy. It has been difficult because I lost my mother barely a year now. It was on July 27, 2011 that I lost my mother. And here I am now mourning my husband. I lost my Daddy when I was just eight years.

“So, even when my mother died, I was consoled that I have my husband to lean on and really he was there for me. He consoled and nursed me.”

Bridget added “He was a wonderful husband, a wonderful father, if I say he loved us, then it is an understatement. He devoted his heart to the family. When he died, I was not told, but I knew within myself when it happened. When I saw it on the news bar on the television, I knew that my husband was involved.

“I was hoping and watching the news to get the list of the survivors.
“I have lost words with which to describe him. I just want to thank God. It is God that is giving me the strength to bear this loss. At times, I sit down and wonder, why am I still alive? I know that it is God who is keeping me.

“When I look at my children, I feel the pain the more; each time I look at them, I see him; I see him in what they say and do.  There are times that I pick my phone and dial his phone number, waiting to hear his voice. But what do I say? “He lived for people and the strength I get today is from the testimonies from the people. They say if there is no test, there won’t be testimony, and that is my strength and my joy today. His life was not wasted.

“We are supposed to be celebrating our 11th year wedding anniversary on June 9, 2012 and my husband died on June 3. He had asked me to get new wedding bands for the renewal of our wedding vows. He had even bought his ticket for the same Dana airline bound for July 7 but all the same I just want to thank God. He knows best, if He didn’t allow it, it wouldn’t have happened.”

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Crash Victim Maimuna Anyene: A Charming Woman Who Died Along With 9 Family Members

One of the most tragic stories from the ill-fated flight Dana Air 992 that crashed in Lagos on Sunday revolves around Maimuna Anyene, a Connecticut-based Nigerian woman, who died along with her husband, sister, her four kids, two cousins and her mother-in-law.
Ms. Anyene, who is being mourned by friends, relatives and colleagues around the world, was described by several sources as having a boisterous laughter, a happy spirit and an infectiously cheerful disposition.
One of the late woman’s spirits closest friends captured her spirits. “When Maimuna laughed, she was always loud, joyful, and even crazy in the good sense. She laughed spontaneously and excitedly. It was a full-of-life kind of laughter that seemed to come from deep within her belly. She laughed without inhibitions. She was pretty and had cute dimples that made her round face memorable.”
Maimuna was born into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Ndanusa and Birikisu Mijindadi on July 30, 1979. Her father, from Bida, Niger State, was a professor at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Her mother had worked for a few years as a nurse in the United States before returning to Nigeria where she began and ran several enterprises, including a large grape farm in Zaria.

Maimuna attended primary school in Zaria and completed secondary school at Queens College, Lagos.
She proceeded to the University of Ibadan (UI) where she studied Economics, graduating in 2001 with a second class (upper) degree. At UI, she made many friends, staying close to several of them years beyond her university days.
One friend said she stood out as the most studious in her circle of friends. “Maimuna was the one who talked to her friends to focus on their academic work whenever she found them in danger of getting too distracted by the many temptations of student life,” said the friend. “No surprise that we called her ‘effico,’ a nickname for nerds and bookworms. It meant she was efficient in organizing her study and play time. She was diligent and hardworking, and simply never lost sight of her priorities.”
Another friend said she fondly remembered how she and others called Maimuna “effico.” “It was a term of endearment but also a playful kind of derision. We derided her for keeping us honest by enforcing group discipline. And, at last, we cherished her for keeping us honest that some of us graduated with honors from Ibadan and other universities.”
On graduating from UI, Maimuna returned to Zaria for a few months before heading to Lagos for the mandatory one year stint as a member of the National Youth Service Corps. She served with Citibank in Lagos.

Maimuna was married to Onyeka Anyene, a lawyer who has offices in Abuja and Lagos. Friends described the marriage as one founded on religious tolerance and broadmindedness. A devout Muslim, Maimuna married Mr. Anyene, a Christian.
A few friends disclosed that Maimuna’s parents were at first reluctant to approve their daughter’s choice of husband-to-be. Even so, Maimuna and Onyeka displayed their determination by heading for the Marriage Registry in Ikoyi, Lagos to solemnize their wedding. The ceremony was marked by a simplicity that was characteristic of the couple; it was witnessed only by three persons: a close friend of Maimuna’s from her U.I. days, and a couple who were friends of the groom.
A relative said Maimuna was a woman of great professional ambitions who was willing to work hard to prepare for the realization of her dreams. This led her to Pennsylvania State University in the United States where she earned a Masters degree. In 2005, she relocated to Connecticut and lived there until her death in the Dana Airlines crash that also claimed close to 160 passengers as well as an unclear number of people on ground. The plane crashed into buildings in the densely populated suburb of Iju-Isahaga, in Agege, Lagos.

Ms. Anyene and her husband had four children: Kamsi (two-years old), twins Kayna and Kayne (one-year-old), and Kamal, also known as Noah (seven-months-old).
One friend in Connecticut recalled how “Maimuna loved to take pictures, to capture every memorable moment on film whenever possible.”
One source said she had traveled to Nigeria to visit with her husband, who lived mostly in Nigeria. “She also went to attend the wedding of her younger brother, Ndako, scheduled to take place in about a week’s time – on June 9,” added the source.

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Eye-Witness Account Of DANA Plane Crash: Like A Movie

Like a scene in a movie, the events of June 3rd 2012 is not one I can ever forget in a hurry. It was 3.56pm and everyone had formed clusters around available TV set in preparation to watch the Nigerian National Football team play their Namibian counterpart in Calabar, a home match for the Eagles. Then came a loud scream from the grocery shop across my house, it was the owner shouting “Ki le leyi?” in Yoruba which by interpretation is “what is this?”

Such yell would arrest anyone, it was certainly an alarm! We all trooped out, since the match had not started, a little amusement could spice up a bright Sunday afternoon. Noone could guess what was behind such a distress shrill.

Getting outside, the feeling was of shock as well as amazement – an aircraft flying so close to the house roof? This must be a movie stunt, I thought at the time.

Haven always had a desire to understand the rudiments of movie-making; I thought it best to search for a camera so I could capture this rare spectacle. Some Nollywood stars must be behind this first-ever, real-live video shoot, I must fast locate the camera crew of this movie-in-the-making, I thought.

Then, it occurred to me that this massive object, with the inscription “DANA Airlines”  and as huge as the 3 storey building nearby can in no way be a stunt prop. Too close, the scene too real, too dangerous to be one.

Then poured comments and several questions – “What is the pilot doing?” “Is this a joke?” “This is in no way funny?” came in different languages and from different lips already aghast by the sight of the big bird hovering side to side, up and down. My cousin and I glanced at one another, and then it dawned on us that it was no joke afterall.

Little did we know that the pilot was in his moment of helplessness, confusion, anguish and last-minute attempt to save not just himself, but other one hundred and sixty souls (or thereabout) entrusted into his care just 45 minutes ago in Abuja.

Right at that moment the obviously-distressed aircraft took a sharp plunge straight ahead into a building occupied by a church (Redeemed Christian Church of God) sweeping though a newly constructed but yet-to-be-occupied residential building! Boom! It was a deafening sound. We – my neighbourhood was hit by a sad reality!

Those of us who had thronged out at first ran towards the crashed plane, and many were astounded by the loud sound, not knowing what the cause was.  We only could point in the direction,  a few of us could mutter “plane”, “ fly” “crash” or any other thing to communicate the horror, the thoughts in most minds was apparently running at a faster pace than words could express. The shock was indescribable!

In a moment, we got close enough but could not see much at first because of the smoke from the plane. A climb up the fence of a building nearby gave a view of the crashed plane.

Some others ran towards a 3-storey building which had a hit from the shredded wing of the plane. That was the house that the family who fell victim lived; they were reportedly seated, ready to watch the football match my entire neighbourhood ended up not watching.

As if in a flash, a fire started in a part of the building. Then came a man shouting from the balcony of the third floor, “What happened?” The yells of “plane!” “fire!” “jump!” from us all saw the man disappeared inside the house, to the bewilderment of everyone. However, he emerged few seconds later with a young child (his child), jumped down with the child wrapped and clutched to his body. As we later found out, the staircase was already crushed by the impact of the crash. I had believed and prided my father the best, but I must confess, I saw the great father in this man.

He landed alive but with a dislocated arm. We could only scream from a distance “Come out”, “Come out”; we were all too scared to go drag him out of the premises for fear another explosion or of the building collapsing. It took him about 3 minutes to get up, as he struggled out through the gate to the waiting arms of those of us who had alerted him.

We were interested in anyone still left in the building;  we asked, he could only mutter that his brother-in-law was in one of the rooms, fast asleep while he and his child were waiting for the other members of his family to come back from church. The agony of this moment was beyond words as we knew we could not risk going into the building to help the brother-in-law or anyone left.

Many residents of Iju have by now summoned the sense and courage to make calls continuously to media houses. Every known SOS agencies were contacted and bombarded with calls for help.

By now, the time was 4.30pm. Scores have gathered from everywhere around to catch a glimpse of what was going on.  Many living on Olaniyi Street and all around it started evacuating few valuables – TV sets, mattresses, chairs – in fear of an eventual fire to their homes. Generating sets were top priorities for most, as this was thought, and wisely so, a great aid to any inferno.

We could only wait for fire-fighters and rescue teams. The policemen from the nearest police station, Adeshola station came but could not do much. Indeed, no one knew what to do! We tried to break the windows of the burning storey building by throwing stones to allow for space for anyone who might be trapped and searching for a way of escape but none came out.

People started praying in their different religious faiths and tongues. A great many were in agonising tears. I was in tears. Old men with gray hairs were in tears, crying like babies. I have never seen such emotionally-rending scene, never!

There were those who wanted to have a share of the loot but those of those who got to the scene earlier prevented them to the best of our capacity.

The first set of fire-fighters came 40 minutes after the crash to the elation of us all. At least, all the houses would not be razed by this fire, as we all initially envisaged! We were ready to help and we encouraged the safety men so.

Despite the efforts of the fire-fighters, it was clear to us that with the raging fire, from the crashed aircraft or the buildings affected, it would be a miracle for any of the trapped occupants to make it through. The smoke from the airplane has now become a huge raging fireball! No one could go near, the heat was intense. We only could stare helplessly from a distance.

The first fire fighting crew did very well, and by the time they ran out of water, other trucks came. It was 5.40p.m.

Two helicopters were hovering, one belonging to Governor Fashola of the Lagos State (or so I thought) and another of the Nigeria Air Force which could not find a space to land.

The crowd had grown large, in their multitudes. Rescue workers from the Red Cross, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency team, The Police; in fact, every known law-enforcement agency was represented in their droves.

At 6.20pm, the rescue workers could go into the building to bring out victims- many of them, burnt beyond recognition, laid in body bags and whisked away by stand-by ambulances. What a day, what a scene, what a horror!

The quiet Iju community has since become a tourist site for many, robbed of its peace by the cruel angel of death.

-  Adeniyi Aliu
News Byte

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