Even though 365 days have passed since the incident happened, the crash seems like one that would linger in the hearts of the families that were affected by the fatal crash for long.
Perhaps what makes it more pathetic was the way some of the victims were roasted by the fire that engulfed the Embraer 120 airplane.
“I cried and cried for so long, and I didn’t feel like stopping until my father came to persuade me to stop. I never knew my mother had died because I still spoke to her the previous day and the day before, that was October 1 and 2, 2013.
“When I sent my provision list to her, I tried her number, that was on October 3, 2013, the day the incident happened, her phone rang many times but she didn’t pick. I expected her to call me back later in the day, thinking that she probably left her phone in her bag, but the call never came. It was later in the day that my father asked me to send my provision list, which I had sent to her earlier. He told me my mother was on an official assignment. I couldn’t buy it easily.
“I just had an inkling that she had died but nobody told me anything. I even told my friends in school but they scolded me, they thought I was saying nonsense until my dad came to pick me few days later and I saw things for myself. I wish it never happened,” these were the words of Ayomide Alabi, 12, the only child of one of the victims of the ill-fated plane. when she spoke to our correspondent.
Among the victims of the crash was Mrs. E. O. Alabi, the Ondo State Liaison Officer in Lagos, who was one of those accompanying the corpse of the former governor to Akure in Ondo State where a lying-in-state had been organised for him.
The incident, which claimed 15 lives and left five survivors, qualified as one incident too many, partly because the plane was carrying a corpse, which eventually led to the death of many others. The plane had 13 passengers and seven crew members on board.
Other casualties included the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Ondo State, Mr. Deji Falae, CEO, MIC Caskets, Mr. Tunji Okusanya, his son, Olatunji, Mrs. E.O. Alabi, Samson Hassan, all the crew members and many others, while the only son of the former governor, Feyi Agagu, his son-in-law and three other persons survived the crash.
In the course of the week, Saturday Punch had a chat with Ayomide, her father and husband of the deceased woman, Mr. Clement Alabi, and the mother of another victim, Mrs. Christianah Hassan on life after the loss of their loved ones.
Ayomide, who is a JSS3 student, said she had had two separate encounters with her mother since she died, adding that the first time she saw her in the dream, she didn’t know she was dead.
She said, “She has appeared to me twice, and I was in school the first time and didn’t even know she had died then. I saw her in a dream showing me my younger brother, whom she was still carrying and never lived to give birth to. Meanwhile I didn’t even know she was pregnant when I had the dream because they didn’t tell me.
“I dreamt that my mum and my dad came to pick me in school for the naming ceremony, I even saw the boy’s face and they told me they would come and take permission so I could go home for the naming ceremony. None of these happened.
“When I learnt that she was dead, considering the dream I had earlier, I couldn’t recover from it for a long time. It was like the whole world came crashing on me, because I still spoke with her a day before she died. I even told her to tell me if she wanted to travel but she didn’t tell me.”
Ayomide told our correspondent that the second encounter she had left her with some fears than the first experience.
“The second time, it was also a dream and she told me to come, but I didn’t answer. When I told my dad what I saw he said she wasn’t the one that I shouldn’t worry. But it left me with some fears about who the person could be,” she said.
As much as she misses her mum, who left her on a painful note, she seems too scared to look forward to another encounter of seeing her in a dream, as she told our correspondent she wouldn’t want to see her mother again because of the fears she already has.
She explained that she is still scared of being alone in the house for the fear of having scary thoughts or seeing her mother again.
She said, “I’m still scared and I still cannot sleep inside alone, especially at night. I used to stay with my dad because I cannot stay alone. I don’t even know why I’m scared. Even when I’m in school, if I wake up in the midnight, I would have to wake one of my friends, who would put on the torchlight until I fall asleep.
“I’m already learning how to stay at home alone now, during the day only, but I still cannot stay alone in the evening. I stand in front of the house or go to my friend’s place until my dad comes back and when he comes, I stay around him.
“I miss my mum but I am too scared to meet her again. Even when I’m alone in the house, I fear that she would come and touch me, so, when I have such feelings, I would quickly run out of the house to go and stay in my friend’s house.”
Beyond these, Ayomide seems too scared to travel by air, and even if she would, it may not be anytime soon because of the fear of what took her mother away from her.
“I have already told my dad that I cannot travel by air. Even if I want to travel out of the country, I cannot go with a Nigerian airplane,” she said.
Even as Ayomide seems to be reconciling herself with what had happened, her father told Saturday Punch that seeing a relationship of 24 years he had with his wife end in the twinkle of an eye was painful, to say the least.
He would spare no word to explain how close he was to his wife and how much he cherished her. He recalled how he always gave a helping hand with house chores and going to the market to buy things like food items for her.
“We embarked on family projects together and in our daughter’s name, so I don’t have a personal property and she didn’t have any too. My daughter has been a major source of joy for me, consoling me sometimes, but I’m left alone anytime she goes back to school. So, I’m living alone and I know that with time, I will get over it. It is better to face my life squarely now,” he said.
When asked if he would also like to see his late wife again, he was quick to add that she had appeared to him twice, adding that he was too sure the encounter was real and not a hallucination.
Alabi said, “The first time was around March when I was under pressure over some properties, particularly the house we built together. When it got to a level that I could not bear it, I went to where she was buried and spoke to her, asking her what she wanted me to do to resolve the crisis.
“Later in the night, she came to me and said I should be patient with her family members and give them whatever they wanted so I could face my daughter and that she would fight for her own cause by herself.
“The second time was on her birthday, July 24, when I did the things we used to do together, such as preparing some food and give to the needy. After everything that day, she appeared to me in the night around 2am to thank me. I asked her some questions but she couldn’t answer, she was just looking at me. So, I accepted my fate.”
He maintained that the encounter he had with his wife was not mere imagination, saying that it was neither a dream nor live occurrence. “I saw her live because when she came, all she said was ‘thank you my dear, thank you my dear. I was sleeping when she came. I felt I was dreaming. Painfully, I have not been able to see her again after the birthday.”
When asked if he would like to see her again, he said, “I have even gone back to her resting place twice but maybe she’s resting now because I have not been able to see her again. My daughter told me that the only time she had such an encounter with her was when she came to her with a boy, telling her to take care of him.”
Unlike his daughter, Alabi would not mind travelling by air; he said he would never be scared because, as a couple, they didn’t have anything against each other till her death. “Even when I was having problems with some relatives, particularly over the house we built, she came and told me certain things,” he added.
When asked if he would consider remarrying, Alabi said it is not in his plan, adding that it is not impossible considering his age.
“You know I’m still very young and I have only one issue, but like I said earlier I have to concentrate on my daughter to a certain level before any other thing. So, even if I will do that, it will be after two years, that is if at all I will.
While calling on the Ondo State government to redeem the promise it made to the family, he said he would always live to remember his wife and continue to observe the day in her memory.
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