Dana Crash Latest: Confusion as families collect victims' bodies

The last day of the collection of the bodies of the victims of the Dana plane crash was marked by confusion in Lagos yesterday.

Some families who went to the Dana Air Crisis Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to collect the bodies and death certificates of their relatives left in anger.

Although no fewer than four bodies were taken before noon on the fifth day of the collection schedule, some people were turned back because of improper documentation.

Adding to the confusion was the failure of the management to issue death certificates to families who waited for the entire day.

It was observed that the turnout on the last day for the release of bodies may have overwhelmed the officials who had to attend to dozens of family members.

Among the people that were affected by the improper documentation yesterday were men of the Ministry of Defence, who turned up to collect the bodies of two of their members who died in the June 3 plane crash. They succeeded with one of the bodies, but were turned back over the other.

Some family members expressed frustration over the process for the issuance of death certificates as they alleged that it was not properly coordinated.

A family member who spoke on the condition of anonymity complained: “We’ve been kept here since morning waiting for the issuance of the death certificate, only for the Prof. (Chief Examiner, Prof. John Obafunwa) to show up in the afternoon and start asking why we are here. But they told us to come today.”

The complainant had collected the body of his relative, Anobi Mojekwe, at the weekend, with an accompanying embalmment certificate. “What is remaining is the death certificate, before we can fly the body out of Lagos. Now we don’t know what the issue is with the certificate,” he said.

Another family member, who complained openly, said: “The death certificate should have come with the bodies thereby stopping prolonging our pains. It is not fair. If they promised to give it today (yesterday), then let them keep their promise,” she said.