Bauchi state Governor, Isa Yuguda yesterday visited the scene of suicide bombing in Yelwa describing the act as barbaric and man inhumanity to fellow men assuring that government will go after the perpetrators until they were brought to book declaring that his administration will rebuild the Harvest Field Church majorly affected by the blast as well as the Living Faith Church and other structures around the area that were damaged.
Isa Yuguda who was accompanied on the sympathy visit to the scene by the State CAN Chairman Revd Lawi Pokti as well as Bishop Oyedepo, General Overseer of the Living Faith Church worldwide lamented the monumental loss of lives and properties in the blast declaring that his administration will do everything humanly possible to bring succor to al those who lost their loved ones adding that his government has already picked up the medical bills of the injured.
The Governor further said that the actors were neither Christians nor Moslems because according to him none of the two religions preaches violence but peaceful coexistence and brothers keepers stressing that the time has come when all Nigerians will put aside all religious sentiments and join hands to fight all forms of terrorism in the country.
He added that his administration will continue to provide security for lives and properties of the people of the State irrespective of socio-political and or religious differences urging the people to be calm and go about their normal and legitimate businesses but report suspected characters to security operatives.
In his reaction, the Chairman of CAN in Bauchi, Revd Lawi Pokti commended Governor Isa Yuguda for visiting the scene of the blast saying that it shows that he is a good leader who is demonstrating good leadership quality assuring that the Christian Community wii continue to pray for peace in the state.
Unconfirmed number of people were trapped as a new hospital building under construction collapsed on Monday afternoon..
The cause of the collapse of the multi billion naira central hospital building could not be immediately ascertained but one of the workers in the construction site Hassan Jimoh who gave an eye witness account said the crane that was being used at the site was lifting some heavy objects when the iron rope cut into two. In the process the heavy object it was carrying fell one side of the uncompleted building forcing it to collapse and fell on some of the construction workers inside.
Although the exact number of people trapped inside the building could not be immediately ascertained some of the masons said three of their colleagues including the foreman a white man were still being trapped as their voices were heard calling for help.
Rescue operations made up of state fire service, civil defence, NEMA officials, Red Cross and Setraco equipments were used for rescue operation.
The situation almost became violent as workers tried to prevent journalists from taking pictures of the collapsed building. Some journalists were beaten up and their cameras seized. It however took the intervention of some policemen around before journalists were allowed to do their work.
As at the time of filing this report official government reaction was still being expected. The state deputy governor Dr Pius Odubu and some top government officials were at the site of the building to inspect the extent of the damage. The state governor Adams Oshiomhole who has travelled outside the state capital on a campaign tour was also still expected.
Following yesterday plane crash, a former Executive Director of Air Nigeria has come out to issue a stern warning to the Nigerian public who uses Air Nigeria as their flight of choice, to desist from doing using that. According to John Nnorom who was a former Executive Director Finance of Air Nigeria to stop until the aircraft being used by the airlines for its flight operations are being put in order.
In an open and blazing warning made through a passionate appeal, the former Executive Director who until April 1, 2012 was the ED in charge of Finance before throwing in the towel, apportioned blame on the business mogul Jimoh Ibrahim of having no interest company’s aircrafts maintenance.
According to him he said that he and some of the verifying Engineers face a lot of threats of elimination by the airline’s owner Jimoh Ibrahim if they dare make known this covert to Nigerians.
However, in his report he said that ahead of his resignation, he forwarded a strong letter to the company citing that he prefer to die rather than seen over hundreds of Nigerian souls perish in an aircraft called Air Nigeria.
According to him, Air Nigeria is in a deep pecuniary crisis as result of the N35.5 Billion money loaned by Bank of Industry has been sidetracked into Jimoh Ibrahim’s NICON INVESTMENT LTD, which is also a non-finance company popularly called wonder bank, which has also hindered air safety and adding that there awaits a ruinous air crash of air Nigeria any moment from now if care is not taken.
He went to lament that in early this years January 2012, all the licensed Licensed Engineers working in Air Nigeria embark on an industrial action due to the fact that they were being obligated to endorse flabby aircraft into the air, however that yet another strike was prevented in March 2012 with the prior interference of the DG-NCAA, Harold Demureen. According to Mr. Nnorom the two events were as a result of not a success to meet up Safety Standard, and that these are even information which is provable which the public are sentient of.
However, he raised pertinent questions which he said are facts; why are Air Nigeria flights occasionally belated for as several times as eight hours? According to the petitioner, that is because the aircraft for that flight is not ready. “While passengers are waiting, engineers are battling to put the aircraft on Air. Several times our Aircraft on Runway taxing to takeoff, turns back to offload passengers due to some technical faults observed by Pilots.”
He said that of the 11 aircraft being operated by Air Nigeria, only one, Embraer, is safe to fly Nigeria Air space, with all of the others needing “deep and heavy” technical maintenance.
“This explains why Air Nigeria has never operated more than six Aircraft out of eleven Aircraft. Air Nigeria does not have the money to fix these Aircrafts. Let anybody go and check now, some of the Aircraft and Engines have been grounded for the past one year.”
Mr. Nnorom even advised that “Nigerians who choose to take the risk of flying Air Nigeria not to eat or drink anything, pointing out that passengers have been poisoned because Air Nigeria serves bottled pure water, and that passengers have complained of being served smelling waters.
That also Mr. Ibrahim’s companies, including Air Nigeria; do not have tax clearance certificates. He listed the others as Global Fleet Oil & Gas, NICON Insurance, Nigeria RE-Insurance, NICON Properties Ltd, Nicon Luxury, Nicon Hotels Okitipupa, VGC & PHC, Newswatch Communications, Newswatch Daily and National Mirror,” Mr. Nnorom said in his petition.
“In Air Nigeria, just to renew expatriate resident permit, Bar Jimoh Ibrahim will instruct a vendor to forge all the tax clearance papers which is filed with the immigration.”
Mr. Nnorom said that Jimoh Ibrahim: “As the chairman of Air Nigeria, has diverted N5billion From a BOI aviation industry intervention loan Of N35.5billion granted last year by the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria into NICON INVESTMENT LTD; Diverted $18m Out Of $40m Afrixim federal government support of the aviation industry; with $26,969,505.63 diverted into Mr. Ibrahim’s acquisition of Energy Bank of Ghana,” he said.
He also said that: “Jimoh had diverted N10 billion released by the government through the office of the Accountant-General of Nigeria for the payment of pensioners into Nicon Insurance Plc released the sum of, with no pensioner being paid,” he concludes.
Moreover in his petitions he alleged that Mr. Ibrahim is trying to kill him, and attached his letter of resignation and subsequent acknowledgement by the CEO and FOREIGN LEASSORS to the petition.
“On the SFU, recovery of $75,000 from me, I was never arrested, never invited by SFU, did not make any statement, I do not know how money was recovered from me,” he said. “I am ready to sponsor any person to come with me to SFU and show me my statement,” attributing the matter to Mr. Ibrahim’s “poor character of cheap blackmail.”
According to the former Executive Director, “Jimoh Ibrahim is after my life but if my death will save hundred Nigerian souls from plane crash and that is the will of GOD, my soul will be happy to meet my creator anytime.”
As Governor Fashola rescue three children from the rubbles
The Black Box of the Dana Air, that crashed yesterday has been found, the said black box was seen around 2.30 pm Nigerian local time. According to an investigator soon after the finding of the black box said that investigation has just begun. Moreover a mild drama ensued between the Accident Investigators Bureau and the Police Rescue workers over who the Box will be in his custody. The matter was later resolved after several calls and it was handed over to the AIB.
Black Box is a flight data recorder (FDR) (also ADR, for accident data recorder) is an electronic device employed to record any instructions sent to any electronic systems on an aircraft. It is a device used to record specific aircraft performance parameters. Another kind of flight recorder is the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which records conversation in the cockpit, radio communications between the cockpit crew and others (including conversation with air traffic control personnel), as well as ambient sounds. In this both functions have been combined into a single unit. The current applicable FAA TSO is C124b titled Flight Data Recorder Systems
According to Wikipedia, Popularly referred to as a “black box”, the data recorded by the FDR is used for accident investigation, as well as for analyzing air safety issues, material degradation and engine performance. Due to their importance in investigating accidents, these ICAO-regulated devices are carefully engineered and stoutly constructed to withstand the force of a high speed impact and the heat of an intense fire. Contrary to the “black box” reference, the exterior of the FDR is coated with heat-resistant bright orange paint for high visibility in wreckage, and the unit is usually mounted in the aircraft’s empennage (tail section), where it is more likely to survive a severe crash. Following an accident, the recovery of the FDR is usually a high priority for the investigating body, as analysis of the recorded parameters can often detect and identify causes or contributing factors
Meanwhile the Governor Fashola has rescued three children, however it is yet to ascertain if the kid’s parents are involved in the crash or not. They children are Joel Okechukwu (11), Chisom Okechukwu (9) and Esther Okechukwu, whose age could not be instantly established. They children are said to have been taken to the Government House Lagos.
A boy that was picked inside the rubble. it is not certain if he was in the ill fated flight or if he was living among the builiding that the plane crahsed on
The remnants of the bloody Sunday continue to linger as the community of Eju has begun to cry foul over the deadly plane crash. The aviation minister along with the top boss of the NCAA have held a meeting with the management of DANA Airways to detail out the way forward and to determined the causative factors to the crash.
The management of DANA Airways has told the Aviation Minister and the top boss of the NCAA that their operatives were already at the crash site in search of the blackbox. It is expected for the blackbox to be recovered today.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the Eju community have begun compilation of victims and other possible damages. According to eyewitness reports, the community leaders are said to have disagreed with the number of causaties quoted by the media. They stated that the number of casuaties were higher – that the Eju area where the plane landed is densely populated. And so the crash caused extensive damaged – that requires proper collation by the community leaders.
In a related development, expects have faulted the upkeep of the airbus as an official of Dana Airlines who does not want to be named has just confirmed that the ill-fated Dana Air flight 0992, MC Donnell Douglas (MD 83) was faulty even before it took off from Abuja. She also claimed the flight has very recent history of problems and it was not supposed to have flown.
According to the official, “the plane has had problems that the airlines were aware and should not have flown but the owners insisted that the ill-fated flight must go ahead.
“The same plane had issues in Uyo, Calabar and Abuja over the last few weeks and even experienced issues yesterday morning.” Officials of Dana Air were advised earlier that the plane shouldn’t fly due to some faults noticed in it, but the Indian owners insisted that the air craft should fly.
Also, the Special Adviser, Technical to Minister of Aviation, Mr. Victor Oche Elias, has revealed that the pilot of the ill-fated plane, had alerted the aviation authority of the airport, on the emergency situation 11 nautical miles to landing. It was further disclosed that the pilot’s may-day cry was given priority, but the plane could not make it, as it crashed 4 nautical miles to landing. The MC Donnell Douglas MD 83 was sold to Dana Airline in 2009 by a US-based Alaska Airlines ahead of the airline, commencing its services in Nigeria.
247ureports learnt from one of the engineers that the Dana Air flight to Abuja from Lagos suffered a serious mishap when one of its engines caught fire while airborne shortly after take-off following a loud slam. The pilot managed to land the aircraft safely after 15 minutes in the air.
Information recently made available to 247ureports.com through sources close to the security operations in Bauchi State indicates that the Joint Task Force [JTF] operatives may have seen the suicide bomber a day before the bomblast that occurred at a Winners Chapel located in the suburbs of Bauchi.
According to the information received, yesterday, the men of the JTF stationed at one of the entry points into the state stopped a transport mini bus at the checkpoint. JTF men were said to have noticed about 10 youths carrying empty containers of ‘turkey oil’. The small sized containers were said to be their only luggage in the bus believed to be transporting from across state lines.
The JTF suspected the group of ten youth to be odd and out of the ordinary. One of the JTF men in reaction dispatched a signal to the head command office – of what they had observer – and for a team to be assigned to monitor the activities of the 10youths in Bauchi. But as the head command office was alerted, the 10youths disembarked and ‘disappeared’.
The security operatives suspect the 10youth may have been the boom makers and executors of the suicide attack. That, they used the empty turkey oil containers for bomb making. It is also on the security intelligence report that the suicide car bomber may have from Mubi, Adamawa State – where Nigeria shares a porous mountainous border with Cameroun.
Meanwhile the christain community in Bauchi State remain in shock.
State House Press Release: President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has declared a three-day period of national mourning for all those who lost their lives in the Dana plane crash in Lagos today. President Jonathan who has cancelled all his public engagements scheduled for tomorrow, has also directed that the Nigerian flag be flown at half-mast for the three days of national mourning.
Meanwhile, the President has ordered the fullest possible investigation into the crash.
In compliance with the President’s directive, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah has already left Abuja for Lagos to oversee the crash investigations and present an interim report to the Federal Government as quickly as possible.
The President joins all Nigerians in mourning all those who lost their lives in the plane crash which has sadly plunged the nation into further sorrow on a day when Nigerians were already in grief over the loss of many other innocent lives in the church bombing in Bauchi State.
President Jonathan assures air travelers in the country that every possible effort will be made to ensure that the right lessons are learnt from the tragic loss of valuable lives in today’s plane crash and that further measures will be put in place to boost aviation safety in the country. He prays that God Almighty will grant the families of the victims of the plane crash the courage and fortitude to bear their irreparable loss.
247ureports has just confirmed the manifest list of the ill-fated DANA plane that crashed in Lagos, prominent among them includes the spokesperson for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Livi Ajuonuma, others are , Amina Bugaje, son of late Chief of General Staff under Ibrahim Babangida, Ehime Akhigbe; and a businessman, from Biu Alhaji Ibrahim Damcida. others are five staff of the National University Commission(NUC).
The full list
ONITA JENNIFER, IKE OCHONOGO, JOHN AHMADU, ONYEKA AYENE, HURRIYA LAWAL, BERKISUM YINDADI, EBUKA ENUMA, OLUCHI ÖNYENYIRI, SUNDAY ENUMA, GEORGE MOSES, NOAH ANYENE, KAMSI ANYENE, STAMFORD OBRUSTE, KAYINENTOCHI ANYENE, OKEKE HOPE, REV AYODEJI, NGOZI COLE, AILENDE EHI, OLUWASEGUN FUNMI ABIODUN, SHEHU USMAN, ALADE MARTINS, ONITA JOSEPHINE, IKE OCHONOGO, JOHN AMADU,AQUADE ROGER, OSUNBADE ADEROJU, FATOKUN ANJOLA, FATOKUN OLAOLUWA, AJANI ADENIKE, IKE ABUGU, ADIJOLOLA ABRAHAM, OTEGBEYE ADIZA, EHIOGHAE SONNY, ABIKALE OTATORI, NTOKU CHARLES, ANIBABA TOSIN, SHOBOWALE FEMI,SOMOLU aXTOPHER, MUTI, YUSUF ALI, LT COL CHUMBO OCHIGBO, D AWANI, O AWANI, N CHIDIAC, LI HUIZHU, KANG YI, INUZA AHMED, FAYZAL, MOJEKWU ADEOBI, IBRAHIM D, PETER NOSIKE, MAHMUD ALIYU, NNADI JOHN, AKWEZI ELIZABETH, ADEDUNNI DOROTHY, MARIA OKULEHI, JENNIFER IBE, MTSHELIA SARAH,oNYEAGOCHA CHIDINMA, IKE OKOYE, AMAKA RAPHAEL, GARBA ABDU, ABDU AISHA, BENSON OLUWAYEMI, TAIWO LAMIDI, AWODOGAN OLUWASANMI, MAJOR IG MOHAMMED, ATTAH ANTONIA, LI RIU, IFEANYI ORAKWE, OBINA AKABUEZE, CHUKWUEMEKA OKERE, ADEKUNBI ADEBIYI, WASA RUTH, NABIL GARBA, IBRAHIM JANGANA, OKIKIOLU OLUKAYODE, KOMOLAFE OLUGBENGA, DIKE CHINWE, OLUSOLA AROKOYA, OLUKOYA BANJI, SAKA OTARU, YUSUF IBRAHIM, IKPOKI ABIOLA, LEVI AJUONUMA, MBANG
