The Nation Newspaper

Tag: death

  • 248 escape death at MMIA as Qatar Air makes emergency landing

    248 escape death at MMIA as Qatar Air makes emergency landing

    Panic swept through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, yesterday following a distress call from an in- bound Qatar Airways plane intimating the control tower of difficulty in its tyres retracting for landing.

    On board the Airbus A330 were 248 passengers.

    The message from the pilot of flight QR592 from Doha to Lagos soon sparked a flurry of activities in the aviation sector which is desperate to rebuild its image in the aftermath of the June 3, 2012 crash of Dana plane in Lagos which claimed over 153 lives.

    The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) alerted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which in turn mobilized the Army, Police, Civil Defence, Road Safety, the Medics, Federal Fire Service, State Fire service and Julius Berger fire Unit.

    Their response was swift.

    By 11.30am they had all assembled in strategic places at the airport and quickly broke into three groups and apportioned responsibilities accordingly.

    In group one were eight firemen and NEMA officials fully equipped with fire fighting gadgets. They were positioned where the plane was to touch down and their duty was to put out any fire that might break out.

    Next to them, in the second group, were medical and para-medical personnel who were to administer first aid treatment on those on board the plane after evacuation and before referral to appropriate hospitals, while in the third group were FRSC, Civil Defence and Police officers who were deployed on emergency routes that might be needed to get victims to the hospital.

    The main routes were airport to the nearby Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and airport to the Nigerian Air Force medical centre.

    But by the time the plane eventually landed at 12.57 there was no need to put the plan into use as the tyres retracted after several attempts by the pilot.

    The passengers were not even aware of what was going on until they disembarked.

    “The plane has landed safely,” said Harold Demuren, the Director general of the NCAA said, adding: “We lost one of the tyres.”

    The aircraft landed at the cargo terminal and was then towed to an area where passengers were able to disembark.

    He said that no passengers were injured during the emergency landing and that one of the plane’s tyres had to be replaced. A mechanic at the airport said one of the plane’s left tyres was flat.

    Three passengers who were on board said the crew had made no announcements about the mechanical problem during the flight.

    “They landed safely. There was no problem. I didn’t notice any other thing,” said Raphael Ashala, 30, a Nigerian who was on his way back from a Doha business trip.

    One of the tyres was said to have burst shortly after take- off from Doha.

     

  • Islamic groups mourn Adegbite’s death

    Islamic groups mourn Adegbite’s death

    Various Islamic groups on Saturday paid glowing tribute to late Dr AbdulLateef Adegbite, describing his death as a big loss to the Muslim community and the nation.

    Adegbite, who until his death on Friday, was the Secretary-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) died in Lagos at the age of 79.

    The groups in their various condolence messages described him as an exemplary leader and a lover of peace whose death had created a vacuum in the community.

    The groups include the NSCIA, Nigeria Inter Religious Council, (NIREC), Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, (MSSN), Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN)

    Others are Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association (UNIFEMGA), Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), National Council of Nigerian Muslim Organisations in the USA (NCNMO) and the National Council of Muslim Youths Organisations (NACOMYO).

    In his condolence message, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, National Coordinator of NIREC and Adegbite’s deputy at NSCIA, said “ we have lost an illustrious son of Africa’’.

    “As an academician, an erudite scholar and season lawyer, a political figure, a religious leader and founder of many Islamic societies and groups, the religious community has lost a rare gem,’’ Oloyede said.

    In his message, MURIC National Coordinator, Prof Ishaq Akintola said Adegbite lived a life of devotion and piety.

    “He promoted the golden qualities of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence even at the peak of worst crises and irrational provocation.’’

    Akintola said that Adegbite was a team player who steered the affairs of the Muslim Ummah with dexterity, adding that “Nigeria has lost a gem’’.

    In his tribute, national President of UNIFEMGA, Dr Abdulwahab Egbewole, said the death of Adegbite should be a lesson that “we need to do our best to serve Allah and leave our footprints in all the areas we may find ourselves’’.

    He described the deceased as “a consummate administrator, committed academic, focused religious leader, concerned community leader and a bridge builder’’.

    The MMPN Chairman, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said the demise of Adegbite was a great loss to the Muslim Ummah.

    He added that the deceased was instrumental to the formation of many professional Islamic organisations in the country with the aim of projecting Islam through their professional callings.

    NACOMYO said the death of Adegbite was a big loss to the Ummah.

    Mas’ud Akintola, NACOMYO Coordinator in Oyo State said Adegbite’s death had created a big vacuum for the Ummah and prayed Allah to grant him Aljannah Firdaus.

    Adegbite was born in Abeokuta, Ogun, on March 20, 1933 and attended Methodist School, Abeokuta and Kings College, Lagos.

    He co-founded and was the first national president of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria.

    Until his death, he was the Secretary General of NSCIA, and a member of Nigeria Inter Religious Council. (NAN)