A Nigerian student, Meshioye Remilekun Toyosi, flying from Lagos to London onboard Egypt Air, reportedly fell sick mid-flight and died at a hospital in Cairo.
The deceased student’s family is seeking explanations and aid in returning her remains to Nigeria.
The student’s ill-fated journey began on Monday, when the lady departed Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport, aiming to arrive in London.
Mrs Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, the deceased student’s elder sister, While describing what happened, the family stated that they attempted to contact the airline’s customer service and all other phone numbers listed on their website but had no response all day Wednesday and that when the call was answered, they abruptly disconnected it.
She said, “It was only once that a man answered the call that we put through to the Egypt Air Regional Office in London, and he said the London office was not aware of what happened and they don’t have information to share with us. We then contacted the agent who sold the ticket to her, and the agent sent us proof that she did not board the plane going to Heathrow from Cairo. It was at this point that we intensified our efforts as regards trying to get in touch with Egypt Air.”
“The regional manager in their London office made some calls on Thursday afternoon in her office to their Cairo office. She later informed us that Remi fell sick on the plane, and on landing in Cairo, they rushed her to the hospital in town, where she later died. Efforts to obtain more information from her were not quite successful as to how she died. She said the Nigerian embassy had been informed, and they were the ones that should have contacted us. She later called the Nigerian consular (Mr. Saliu Agraza).”
She went on to say that she believed Egypt Air should have contacted the student’s next of kin instead of them battling to obtain information, which the airline had yet to deliver as of press time.
She added, “We spoke to the Nigerian Embassy in the person of Mr. Saliu Agraza, who responded that Eygpt Air only informed them on Tuesday that Remi was dead and handed over her body to them but did not have any other information or any contact with her relatives.
“Eygpt Air further said only Agraza, being the Nigerian consular, would be able to write and demand what happened on the plane and at the airport and request all her things and documents that they have in their possession, including the CCTV footage in the plane and at the airport.
“I am of the opinion that Egypt Air is hiding some truth as to what happened to her in the plane and on landing at the airport on Monday night. They don’t want to take responsibility for what happened to Remi. As the family of Remilekun, we are demanding for her body to be returned to Nigeria by Egypt Air at their expense, and they should return all her luggage to Lagos, where she boarded the plane on Monday, September 4.”
On the other hand, a top-ranking airline executive, who preferred not to be identified since the airline has yet to issue an official statement, revealed that the deceased student was on the stated flight but was rushed to a hospital by the airline upon landing in Cairo, Egypt.
The source said, “From the report that we received, she was sick on the flight and was reportedly transferred to the hospital in Cairo. When she died, they (the airline) informed the Nigerian Consulate in Cairo to take the steps required to repatriate her body to Nigeria. The airline took her to the hospital and stood as surety for her, and when she passed on, they informed the Nigerian Consulate in Cairo about the case. We are working on how to get her body back to Nigeria.”
Another family member who did not want to be identified stated that one of the most upsetting aspects of the tragedy was that the family was not informed of the deceased. Student’s death by the airline and instead learned of it from the diplomatic office in Cairo. The family members stated that the airline’s lack of contact just added to the family’s shock and sadness.
The family, on the other hand, has demanded explanations from Nigerian authorities, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to shed light on the events that led to Remi’s death. They asked for a comprehensive inquiry into the incident as well as advice and support in repatriating student’s body to Nigeria.
