Ten Prominent Nigerians Who Died in Air Crashes

DAVID OLUSEGUN chronicles the report of several notable Nigerians who have tragically lost their lives in aviation disasters over the years. Below are the stories of ten prominent figures who met untimely deaths in air crashes, leaving lasting legacies in their respective fields.

Professor Claude Ake (1996)
Claude Ake, a distinguished Nigerian political economist, died in an air crash on November 7, 1996, while traveling from Port Harcourt to Lagos. Ake, who was 57 at the time of his death, was known for his influential work on African political economy and development. He had taught at several international institutions, including Yale University, and had written extensively on democracy in Africa. His passing was a huge loss to the academic and political community in Africa.

Bimbo Odukoya (2005)
Pastor Bimbo Odukoya, the associate senior pastor of The Fountain of Life Church, tragically lost her life in the Sosoliso Airlines crash on December 10, 2005, which occurred during a flight from Abuja to Port Harcourt. Odukoya, a renowned preacher and host of the popular TV program Single and Married, was married to Taiwo Odukoya, co-founder of the church. She was survived by three children, two of whom, Jimmy and Tolu, went on to become pastors at The Fountain of Life Church. At the time of her death, Odukoya was also the president of Discovery for Women, an organization dedicated to empowering women.

Waziri Mohammed – (2005)
On October 22, 2005, an aircraft tragically crashed shortly after takeoff, nose-diving at high speed and killing all 117 people on board. Among the passengers was Waziri Mohammed, the then-chairman of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), which fueled speculation and unverified rumors that the crash could have been an assassination attempt. The aircraft had departed from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, bound for Abuja, when the disaster occurred.

Muhammadu Maccido (2006)
On October 29, 2006, Muhammadu Maccido, the 19th Sultan of Sokoto, died in an aviation disaster. The plane, an Aviation Development Company (ADC) flight, was en route from Abuja to Sokoto when it crashed. Maccido, born on April 20, 1928, was an influential religious leader and the former President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs. As a son of Sultan Siddiq Abubakar III, Maccido was groomed for leadership and became Sultan in 1988. He was known for his efforts to mediate political tensions in Sokoto and beyond.

Patrick Yakowa (2012)
Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, the Governor of Kaduna State, died on December 15, 2012, in a helicopter crash while traveling from Bayelsa State to Port Harcourt. Yakowa had a distinguished political career, including serving as Secretary to the Government of Kaduna State, Deputy Governor, and later Governor. He was the first Christian and the first person from Southern Kaduna to hold the governorship. Yakowa was known for his efforts to promote unity and peace in the ethnically and religiously diverse state of Kaduna.

Levi Ajuonoma (2012)
Levi Ajuonoma, a prominent Nigerian broadcaster and former spokesperson for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), died in the Dana Air crash on June 3, 2012. Ajuonoma, originally from Imo State, had a long career in media and communications. He had studied in the United States, earning a PhD in Mass Communications, and later worked in various Nigerian media outlets. Before his death, he had become the Group General Manager of Corporate Affairs at NNPC.

General Andrew Azazi (2012)
General Andrew Azazi, the former National Security Adviser (NSA) to President Goodluck Jonathan, died on December 15, 2012, in the same helicopter crash that claimed the life of Governor Patrick Yakowa. Azazi had an illustrious military career, serving as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) before his appointment as NSA. Born on February 1, 1952, in Peretorugbene, Bayelsa State, Azazi was known for his strategic insight and his role in managing Nigeria’s security challenges. He died at the age of 60.

Professor Pius Adesanmi (2019)
Professor Pius Adesanmi, a Nigerian-Canadian scholar and director of the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University, tragically died on March 10, 2019, when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff. Adesanmi, born in Isanlu, Kogi State, was an accomplished academic, author, and public intellectual known for his satirical writings and commentary on Nigerian politics. He had written for publications like Premium Times and Sahara Reporters and had delivered a popular TED Talk in 2015 titled “Africa is the Forward That the World Needs to Face.”

Ibrahim Attahiru (2021)
On May 21, 2021, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), died in an air crash. Attahiru, who was appointed as Army Chief by President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021, was 54 years old at the time of his death. The plane, carrying Attahiru and ten other officers, crashed as it attempted to land in poor weather conditions in Kaduna State. Born on August 10, 1966, in Doka, Kaduna, Attahiru was a distinguished officer with a background in military training and higher education, holding multiple advanced degrees in strategic management, human resources management, and international studies. He was married to Fati, and the couple had three children.

Herbert Wigwe (2024)
Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe, a renowned Nigerian banker and CEO of Access Bank Plc, died on February 9, 2024, in a tragic helicopter crash in California, USA. Wigwe, born on August 15, 1966, in Ibadan, Oyo State, was a key figure in Nigerian banking. Under his leadership, Access Bank grew into one of Nigeria’s largest banks. He had an illustrious career in finance, having studied at top universities in Nigeria and abroad, including Harvard Business School. Wigwe had been planning to expand Access Bank into Asia before his untimely death.