Abike Dabiri-Erewa petitions Egyptair, demand investigation into the death of a Nigerian passenger.

Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has written to Egyptair management, requesting a probe into the death of Ms Remilekun Toyosi Meshioye, who died aboard the plane on September 4, 2023.

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

In the petition, Dabiri-Erewa boss stated that Remilekuni’s case was drawn to the attention of the Commission in a petition sent by Mrs Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, her elder sister based in the United Kingdom 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 has not taken the responsibility 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 members of Remilekun family to break the sad news to them nor condole with them. It has not responded as well to NIDCOM petition since Wednesday Sept. 13, 2023,” the statement added.

“The Commission, on behalf of the family and the Federal Government of Nigeria, demanded for full disclosure that led to the sudden death of Ms. Remilekun Toyosi Meshioye aboard Egyptair on that fateful day.”

The NiDCOM boss, who has since condoled with the family and prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased, assured them that justice will be served in memory of Remilekun.

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 on Monday, September 4, via Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, but allegedly took ill on board and brought out dead from the aircraft at Cairo International Airport.

The family, according to Mrs Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, said the Airline failed to inform them, but rather they got a message from the Nigeria consular office in Cairo informing them of her death on board the flight.

“Please we need to know what exactly happened to Remilekun and how to get her corpse back to Nigeria for a peaceful burial as well as all her belongings in the custody of the airline,” the statement added.