NiDCOM Writes Egyptair, Demands Probe into Nigerian’s Death

The Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has demanded justice from the management of Egyptair on the death of a Nigerian, Remilekun Meshioye, who boarded the airline on September 4, 2023.

Remilekun, 41, who was billed for London to resume her studies, was said to have left Lagos for London onboard Egypt Air MS 876 flight to Cairo, via Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, but allegedly took ill on board and was brought out dead from the aircraft at Cairo International Airport.

The family, according to her elder sister, Mrs Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, said the airline didn’t inform them, rather, they got a message from the Nigeria Consular Office in Cairo, informing them of her death on board the flight.

In a letter personally signed by Dabiri-Erewa and delivered by the commission’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, to the General Manager of the airline, Abuja Office, Majdi Al Aridi, she described the sudden death of Remilekun as sad and painful.

Dabiri-Erewa in the petition stated that Remilekuni’s case was drawn to the attention of NIDCOM in a petition sent by Olaniyi-Alabi, her elder sister based in the UK on behalf of the family, to the commission.

She said that since the death of Remilekun aboard the airline from Lagos to Cairo, the management of Egyptair had not deemed it fit to contact any member of the family nor her next-of-kin as contained in her particulars before boarding the aircraft.

“It is surprising that Egyptair management has not deemed it fit to contact any member of Remilekun’s family to break the sad news to them nor condole with them. It has not responded as well to the NIDCOM petition since Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 “, the statement added.

According to the statement, the commission demanded full disclosure of events that led to the sudden death of Remilekun, assuring the family that justice would be served in memory of their child.