September 26, 1992 Ejigbo plane crash only survivor is dead
Squadron Leader Michael Oladipupo Adefemi, the only officer that survived or rather escaped death on Saturday September 26, 1992 plane crash, the Nigerian Air Force Lockheed C-130H Hercules with serial number 911, died this morning.
That plane had graduates of 19, 20, 21 and 22 Class of the Nigeria Defence Academy, Kaduna and some foreign officers. The graduate officers were President Babaginda’s dream to professionalize and replace all senior military officers that he intended should be retired then. The plane had 157 passengers in all, not minding the fact that it had a capacity of only 110 passengers without luggage.
After the plane crash there were serious allegations and rumors that president IBB had a hand in the crash. Thank God for research works like the one I did that went the extra mile to unravel events that happened and we were able to come out with the facts. One of those I had the privilege to interview then was Squadron Leader Michael Oladipupo Adefemi, who strongly exonerated Mr. President and he was able to throw light to the technical challenges that happened that faithful day.
In fact, after the accident, Squadron Leader Michael Oladipupo Adefemi, name was listed among those that died in the plane crash, when his family first saw him after the accident they ran away calling him a ghost, until he explained to them how God kept him alive.
Below is his narration during my interview with him through the telephone:
“I was with the Air Force then and my family were in Kano, when I got to the airport that morning and was told that the Hercules was going to Kaduna with students of Jaji returning to their base, I decided to join them, while we waited for the plane to get ready for takeoff, I told my friend, Lt. Commander A.O.G. Aborowa to watch over my luggage, so I can see my mother whom I had not seen for a long time. So I took a taxi from the airport and instead of going home to see my mum, I went to see my brother and I gave him a message and gave him N200 to give my mum and a promise that I will visit her before the year ends. The same taxi that took me to see my brother, was waiting and drove me back to the airport, as we drove in I saw the plane taxing, I was worried that I had missed the flight and I was just wandering about my luggage and how I will get to Kano, just then an officer called out and handed over my bag to me, he said my friend Aborowa gave him the bag to give me that they have left for Kaduna. I was still at the airport, in about less than 10 minutes later when the airport tower announced that the plane that just left for Kaduna crashed, I was so shocked and confused” On the allegation that the crash must have been planned, he said: “No, nothing like that, it was an accident and we all knew it was an accident. I have tried to talk to friends in the military and civilians that there was no reason whatever for General IBB to wish to kill any of us, we were no threat to him, besides the plane had foreigners in it too.”
(Photo of him while in service early 1990’s. May his soul rest in peace.)
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