NUJ National President, Others Escape Air Crash In Lagos

The National President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Malam Mohammed Garba, and other passengers on board a Royal Air Maroc, yesterday escaped an air crash in Lagos.

Garba, who spoke with newsmen on the incident on phone, gave thanks to God for sparing their lives.

He said that he, eight NUJ executive members and other passengers, boarded the aircraft in Lagos on their was to Casablanca, Morocco, en-route Cotonou in Benin Republic.

“We were travelling aboard a Boeing 737-800 aircraft belonging to Royal Air Maroc and made an emergency landing early on Thursday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, due to a technical fault.

“My brother, it was a very sad experience as we noticed from the takeoff that the aircraft seemed to be shaking.

“I was leading eight other journalists from Nigeria to the Federation of African journalists (FAJ) congress in Casablanca, Morocco.

“As soon as we were airborne, the aircraft could not attain the normal altitude expected of a plane that was going on an international journey.

“The pilot, after trying his best, announced to the passengers— after an hour— that he had to do an air return to Lagos.

“We thank God that all the passengers that boarded the aircraft are alive now.”

Garba, who commended the effective communication between the pilot and the control tower in Lagos, however, told newsmen that the aircraft also found it difficult to land in Lagos.

He said that the aircraft, which came from Casablanca en-route Cotonou to Lagos, was said to have had a similar problem on its earlier trip.

The NUJ president, however, could not ascertain the number of passengers on board the aircraft.

He advised the Federal Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to do more in regulating aircraft coming to Africa, and Nigeria in particular.

“The regulatory agencies, under the Federal Ministry of Aviation, should be more alive to their responsibilities regarding safety and security; such aircraft can not be allowed to go to either Europe or America,” he said.

An eye witness at the airport, however, put the number of passengers on board at about 100, adding that they were successfully evacuated after an emergency landing.

Meanwhile, efforts to get comments from the NCAA on the development was not successful as there was no response to text messages sent to the phone lines of its acting director-general, as at the time of filling this report.