IBB Opens Up On Dele Giwa’s Death And 159 Officers On Crashed Plane
Former Nigerian President Ibrahim Babangida Breaks Silence on Tragic Military Plane Crash and Dele Giwa’s Assassination.
Thirty-one years after a military plane crash in which more than 159 officers lost their lives in Ejirin swamp in Lagos in 1992, then military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) has finally spoken on the ill-fated incident.
friends of military officers, developed a fault and nose-dived into the deep swamp not too far from the Lagos State Low Cost Housing Estate, Ejigbo to the Festac Town, Lagos, killing all those onboard.
In the crash officers of the 19, 20, 21 and 22 Regular Courses of the Nigerian Defence Academy were badly hit. A list of 159 names of those officially listed as passengers of the C-130H was released on October 1 by the Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Fred Chijuka.
The list was made up of seven Lieutenant Colonels, 96 Majors, a Sergeant, Michael Bahago, two students – Mr. O B Oshodi, Mrs. M A Abu, and a reporter, Mr. Augustine Okpe. There were also the eight-officer crew including Alaboson, Mamadi, Squadron Leader J A Adeiza and Flight Lieutenant S O Adamu.
The other men, Alum Wakala, Tarfa Saidu, W T Datong and A Soyemi in addition to 19 Air Force officers, were made up of 18 Squadron Leaders and a Sergeant, O. Jaja.
The Nigerian Navy lost 16 Lieutenant Commanders, Ghanaian Armed Forces, five; Tanzania lost Major M S Mgonja while Ugandan Major J.R Mulazi also lost his life in the crash.
The Nigerian Army Education Corps lost a total of 19 officers, Infantry 17, Artillery 15, Intelligence nine, Signals nine, Supply and Transport eight, Military Police seven while the Electrical and Mechanical Armoured and Medical Corps lost four officers each. Others included Ordinance three while Finance and Personnel and Training lost two men each.
