Blood samples collected from victims of last Thursday’s plane crash in Lagos and those of their families are due for a British laboratory today for testing.
Sources told The Nation yesterday that forensic experts at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, decided to fast track the process after completing the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples collection.
The result is expected in Lagos between three and four weeks, starting from the date the samples arrive at the UK laboratory.
A sister of one of the victims, Mr Chijioke Duru, Mrs Nkechi Nweke, demanded for his body “since it was identifiable”.
Mr Yinka Alabi, a brother-in-law to another victim, Mrs E.O Alabi, urged the government to release identifiable bodies.
The Chief Pathologist and Examiner, Lagos State, Prof John Obafunwa, said some of the identifiable bodies would be released to their families once the identification and documentation have been completed.
He said the DNA examination and delay that may be experienced were to ensure proper identification of bodies and receipt by the right relatives.
Also yesterday, Aviation Minister Stella Oduah defended the sector’s integrity. She said despite the recent plane crashes and the near mishaps, Nigeria’s airspace is one of the safest.
Speaking with State House correspondents, Mrs. Oduah maintained that Nigeria, according to an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) report, is the 12th most safe in global aviation.
According to her, Nigeria scored 65 per cent, which is above the global average.
Describing the critics of the on-going reforms in the aviation sector as ignorant, Mrs. Oduah said that security and safety in the sector could not be achieved without adequate funding.
She claimed that the suspension of Dana Air operations, which followed last week Thursday’s fatal Associated Airline crash in Lagos, was not a fire brigade response – as seen in some circles.
The Minister claimed that the suspension was done in line with the law and policy of certification, which she said is a constant assessment of operators to ensure they are in compliance.
She urged Nigerians to ignore such comments that have no bearing with reality.
Reacting to the allegations that the ministry under her is dwelling more on money making in the sector than safety, she said: “I think it is ignorant – to start with because you cannot have security and safety without funding it; it has to be funded. If you are talking safety, for instance you need to have the infrastructure that addresses that. If you are talking security you need to have the infrastructure that addresses that and all that must be sustained and must be maintained. And if you do not do that, you are not just being sincere.”
“And then when you talk about the issue of renovation, the terminal itself is the first safety and security facility that any passenger comes across. And so in a plan you must start from A to Z. And in aviation, it is often said that if you think safety and security is expensive, wait until accident happens and see how expensive it is.
“And so everything we have done has been with security and safety as a pivotal of it all. You cannot do anything in aviation without these. And what saddens me really is that ICAO says just last week that Nigeria is way above the global average; we actually scored 65 per cent. Secondly, ICAO says Nigeria is the 12th most safe aviation globally. And then when you hear bar comments, drunk and addicts making comments that have zero bearing on reality is very annoying.”
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