Aviation
Court fails to give specific verdict on Dana crash
LAGOS – Exactly two years after 153 passengers and crew of the ill-fated Dana Aircraft perished in Lagos, Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe of the Lagos coroner, Tuesday, held that the court could not arrive at a specific verdict on the cause of the crash owing to inconclusive investigation by the Accident Investigation Bureau, (AIB).
However, the presiding coroner only made recommendations on steps to be taken by authorities to avoid future mistakes as well as improving rescue operations whenever such incident occurs.
In his one hour judgment, Coroner Komolafe x-rayed the circumstances leading to the inquest as well as the number of people and government agencies that testified before him and concluded that no verdict could be arrived at due to failure of the AIB, the body responsible for investigating air crash to present a formal report of its investigations to it.
Though, according to him the composition of the coroner court by the Chief Coroner, Justice Lateefa Okunnu was in line with the Coroner law of Lagos State, however, he only achieved little due to unavailability of the report of the investigation of the AIB.
The chambers of Falana and Falana had filed petition asking the State Chief Coroner to compose a coroner for an inquest to among other things find out the cause(s) of the air crash.
Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, a principal partner at the law firm, in the request made to the State Chief Coroner, alleged that the aircraft was granted permission to fly, in spite of being defective.
He stated that investigations into the incident revealed that the events leading to the crash were poorly managed, hence the ghastly crash and subsequent loss of lives.
“The distress call made by the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft several minutes before the crash was ignored by the airport authorities. The management of the disaster was crude, as members of the public had to use bare hands in the rescue operations,” he said.
Falana said the request was pursuant to Section 15 of the Lagos State Coroner’s Law 2007, which stipulates that an inquest should be held whenever a coroner is informed that the death of a person within his district was “in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation.”
According to Komolafe, 17 witnesses including security agencies, emergency agencies, state Chief Pathologist, Professor John Obafunwa, representatives of the airline and other governmental agencies gave evidences.
At the end of his findings, Komolafe made a nine-point recommendations to the authorities to respond to such future emergency case.
These includes the “establishment of national body for logistics and supply for the body handlers and retrievals and that they should be meeting at intervals”; urgent need for the forensic science laboratory in each geopolitical zones and any state that can have such.
He also called for an enactment of a national Coroner system; the provision of fire services in each local government of the federation.
Other recommendations by the Coroner include provision of equipments for all emergency agencies; establishment of radio unit service in all emergency units that will be link to each other,
Apart from these, he suggested the establishment of national and state corps and inter-agency cooperation among all emergency agencies.
The Dana air mishap of June 3, 2012, claimed the lives of 153 people on board the aircraft as well as about 10 victims on the ground.
On June 18, 2012, an inquest into the cause of the accident began in Lagos, the inquest was, however, halted three months later after a group filed a suit at the Federal High Court challenging the jurisdiction of the coroner.
When the inquest resumed, weeks later, testimonies by the pathologist who conducted an autopsy on the deceased’s bodies continued.
Dana Air’s Director of Flight Operations as well as a consultant to the Accident Investigation Bureau resumed their testimonies, from where he told the court that AIB was yet to conclude its findings on the crash.
Other witnesses who appeared before the coroner included officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Management Agency, as well as the Lagos State Fire Service.
– VANGUARD
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced stringent measures against pilots and crew members who work for multiple airlines concurrently, a practice it describes as a serious safety violation.
In a letter dated November 6, 2024, Acting Director-General, Chris Nojomo warned that pilots operating for more than one airline without specific safety protocols pose significant risks to Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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The directive, titled “Prohibition of Ad-Hoc Flight Operators for Multiple Airlines,” noted that NCAA surveillance reports revealed multiple cases of unauthorized cross-airline work by flight crews, which the agency now plans to address.
According to the NCAA, simulator and proficiency checks endorsed on a pilot’s license are valid only for the specific airline and training program under which they were issued.
The letter stated, “With effect from the date of issuance of this directive, all operators and holders of pilot licenses are informed that this action will be treated as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.”
The NCAA’s new policy, effective November 11, 2024, warns that violators will face strict enforcement actions. Moving forward, simulator renewals will also be filed directly with individual operators, further tightening the agency’s oversight.
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
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