October 29, 2006 is a date that many people, especially those in Sokoto State, will live to remember. Sadly, this is not for the unfortunate incident that made the day an unforgettable one.
On that day, a passenger aircraft of the Aviation Development Company (ADC) took-off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with Sokoto as its destination.
On board the ill-fated aircraft were the then Sultan of Sokoto Muhammadu Maccido, the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State Garba Muhammad, Senators Sule Yari Gandi and Badamasi Maccido (a son to Sultan Maccido).
There were also the then Manager at Equitorial Trust Bank in Sokoto State, Mr. O.H. Irabor, a son of former President Shehu Shagari, Abdulrahman, a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Lawal M.A, among others.
None had an idea of what awaited that flight. And as the Almighty Allah willed, the plane came crashing not long after taking off. The plane, a Boeing 737, crashed at Tunga-Madaki village, about two kilometres from the airport. It killed all but seven of the 100 passengers and five crew members.
It was indeed a national tragedy. The families of the late Sultan Maccido and Senator Gandi were the hardest hit, losing their patriachs and a number of members.
For the Maccido family, it also lost a son, a grandson and four children of the same parent with surname as Abdurrahman. While the deceased in the Gandi family included his mother, wife and three children.
Three daughters of then Kogi State Governor, Ibrahim Idris, were among the survivors. So also is another son of the late Badamasi Maccido, as well as Messrs Bello Jabo and Peter Onuka.
Then President Olusegun Obasanjo, who received the news of the tragedy while in his Ota, Ogun State residence, declared three days of national mourning and also ordered a full investigation of the cause of the crash.
Below is the names as contained in the passenger manifest released shortly after the crash:
1 IJEOMAH/I CHF
2 CHIKA /I.T
3 OLEGHE / I.O. MR
4 KALLLAMU .S MISS
5 USEN E. /ENGR
6 MOHAMMED S./MR
7 JEYIBO ESTHER/MISS
8 MOSHI R./DR
9 OGUNLEYE O.O /MR
10 ISONG A.O/MR
11 MUBOR N./MRS
12 NAKIJWA K./MR
13 OSAWE D.E/MR
14 ARETIYA ESENE/MRS
15 BOB-MANUEL I/DR
16 OYARORISA A.O/MR
17 ABDURAHAMAN R. (CHLD 6YRS)
18 ABDURAHAMAN S. (CHLD 8YRS)
19 ABDURAHMAN N. (CHLD 5YRS)
20 ABDURAHMAN B.(CHLD 11YRS)
21 ONWUEGBU C./MISS
22 OYENIYI A.O/MR
23 MUKHTAR B.M
24 MOMODU M.E/MR
25 OJO A.O/MR
26 USMAN M/ALH
27 IRABOR O.H/MR
28 LAWAL M.A/MR
29 UZOMBAG.O/MR
30 ADUKI S.A/MR
31 OLA R/DR
32 EGWU P./Ms
33 GARBA R./MRS
34 NWAORGU E./MR
35 MACIVER T./MR
36 MACIVER R./MR
37 ISIWELE .J./MR
38 AKIN JOHN .I./
39 TOLUHI .C./MRS
40 HARUNA AYA/DR
41 AYEMOBA J./MRS
42 ENYINAYA E.U./DR
43 MUSTAFA F./HAJ
44 MUSTAFA H./MISS
45 BALOGUN T.A/MR
46 SABO ODILI/MR
47 BARAYO BOYI /ALHAJI
48 IBRAHIM S./ALHAJI
49 ALEXENDAR N./MR
50 IGE UMARU/HAJIA
51 YARI GANDI/SENATOR
52 YARI GANDI/MRS
53 SHAGARI A.S/MR
54 ARZIKA B.(INFANT)
55 AMODA K.E.
56 AHMED F.D./MRS
57 DAN MUSA L. /MRS
58 NWAEZE C.O./SIR
59 BAYERO A./MR
60 GARUBA MOHAMMED/( DEP GOV)
61 UAISU YARO /ALHAJI
62 AHMED DANBABA- MAGAJI YARI SOKOTO
63 BELLO SULE – MAGAJI SAFIN SOKOTO
64 YAHAYA M.B./MR
65 MACCIDO UMAR (CHLD)
66 MACCIDO BADAMASI/SENATOR
67 MACCIDO MUHAMMED/HR/HIS EMINENCE
68 IBRAHIM ZAINAB
69 DANGANA UMAR AMINA
70 BELLO MABARAK – CHLD
71 MUHAMMADU A. – CHLD
72 YAHAYA M.K./MR
73 KWARE BELLO/MR
74 NASIR IBRAHIM YABO
75 KWATWA P/MR
76 SULEIMAN ISMAILA/MR
77 OKOYE B.C.C./DR
78 SAIDU.S./MR
79 HANAFI A.S./MR
80 OLANIYI A.O./MR
81 HASSAN K./HON
82 ALABI T.
83 NNAMDI O./MR
84 BELLO L./MR
85 JUNAIDU S.U/DR
86 KANGIWA S./MRS
87 HAGGAR D.P/DR (MRS)
88 TSADU M.K./MRS
89 MUSA A.S./MR
90 ARZIKA H./MRS
91 UMAR A./MISS
92 SULEIMAN I.K/MR
93 JABONURA/MR
94 ZARAU UMAR J./MISS
95 AZAKI RUKIYAT/HAJ
96 DANKE U.B. /ALH
97 DAN MUSA
98 SHAMAKI F.
99 IBRAHIM JEMILA/MISS
100 KARDI ANA/HAJIA
CREW MEMBERS:
1 ATANDA KOLAWOLE CAPT
2 OKONNEH CELESTINE F/O
3 KANU CHRISTIAN /MR
4 ONUKA PETER /MR
5 NWUGBUNA NGOZI /MISS
