Obasanjo escapes plane crash in Lagos

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, alongside 393 passengers aboard an aircraft, escaped a crash on Wednesday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.

The passenger aircraft, ET-901, had departed the Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, at about; 7:00 a.m Nigerian time, 9:10 a.m., Ethiopian time.

The almost five-hour flight to Lagos had been smooth until the pilot attempted to land at the Murtala Mohammed International airport.

Rather than landing on the first touchline of the runway, the pilot overshot it, due to rain and heavy wind, landing on the third touchline.

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To prevent disaster, the pilot quickly maneuvered the plane back into the air, flying out of the Lagos airport.

After hovering around between Lagos and areas suspected to be in Ogun, causing panic in passengers and crew members, the plane landed in Lagos airport, some 20 minutes after the initial false landing.

Other prominent Nigerians in the Ethiopian airline passenger aircraft, Boeing 777-300, included the Director General of Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Amb. Ayoola Olukanni.

Also in the plane was Prof Samson Tunde Adebayo, the Director of Ports Inspection, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control as well as scores of Nigerians and other nationals.

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