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Governor James Ngilari of Adamawa State, his two
daughters and scores of other air passengers who were
stranded in Kano on Friday evening finally arrived Abuja at
about 3am on Saturday.
The Arik Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft in which they were
travelling from Yola, the state capital to Abuja was diverted
to the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano
initially on the excuse of bad weather in the nation’s
capital.
The Flight W3 409 left Yola at about 4:35pm as against its
scheduled take off time of 3:10pm and landed in Kano at
about 6pm after failed attempts to land in Abuja.
The airline’s officials advised passengers not to disembark
from the aircraft in Kano because they were passengers on
transit who would be conveyed to Abuja immediately the
weather condition improved.
They were however taken aback when the captain
announced at about an hour later that it would not be safe
to fly the aircraft to Abuja because it had developed a
technical problem.
He said he had contacted the airline’s office and that
another aircraft would be sent to convey the stranded
passengers.
All the passengers, including the governor, his family
members, his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, and top government
officials then disembarked to wait for the new aircraft.
Contrary to the airline officials’ promise that the aircraft
would arrive in an hour or two, the Flight W3 728 only
touched ground in Kano at about 1.20am on Saturday.
The aircraft finally left Kano with the governor and other
passengers at about 2:05am and landed in Abuja at about
2:45am, over 10 hours after the initially scheduled arrival
time of 4.20pm (Friday).
Most of the passengers had to remain at the Nnamdi
Azikwe International Airport, Abuja until daybreak before
proceeding to their final destinations.
As at the time the flight finally took off, some passengers,
including Keyamo, were no longer present as they had
made alternative arrangements.
Ngilari was however said to have stopped his aides from
making alternative arrangement for him, saying he would
rather stay with the passengers, most of whom are from his
state.
Meanwhile, before the flight was diverted, passengers had
joined the governor to celebrate his victory at the court.
A Federal High Court Abuja had on Wednesday ordered the
state Chief Judge to swear in Ngilari as the state governor.
The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Adeniyi
Ademola, had nullified the swearing-in of Ahmadu Fintiri as
the state Acting Governor while declaring the resignation of
Ngilari as unconstitutional, null and void.
Shortly after the flight took off, the governor left his seat in
the Business Class for the Economy Class where he shook
hands with everybody on board, one after the other.
Some passengers quickly brought out their cameras and
iPads among others which they used to take photographs
with the governor.
While that was going on, the Head of the cabin crew made
an announcement, congratulating the new governor.
She wished him a successful tenure at the helms of affairs
in the state.
Passengers in the Business Class later welcomed the
governor back with a loud applause and standing ovation.
Meanwhile, two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mr. Kayode
Olatoke and Mr. John Baiyeshea, on Friday described the
swift execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court,
Abuja Division delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola as a
positive and welcome development.
In separate interviews with our correspondent in Ilorin on
Friday, the lawyers noted that the judgment and its swift
execution had further reinforced the ability of the judiciary
to correct and strengthen the polity.
According to Olatoke, the developments indicate that the
judiciary is alive to its responsibilities.
He said, “I agree with the judgment. It shows that the
judiciary is up to the task and alive to its responsibilities.
That is what we are going to continue to have. It is a
welcome development.”
Baiyeshea also said the swiftness with which the judgment
was executed had strengthened the ability of the judiciary
to be seen as discharging its functions creditably.
He added that the judgment had shown that Ngilari did not
resign as people were made to believe.
Baiyeshea said, “It is a very happy development. I heard the
judgment but I did not know that the people would react
very quickly like that. If this is the new development in
Nigeria’s legal system of how to comply with the judgment
of the court, it is a welcome development
“While I commend the swift compliance with the judgment, I
want to say it is also an admission that they misled the
whole country by saying the deputy governor resigned
when he did not resign. It is terrible.”
Baiyeshea added that the judgment would be an example
for subsequent cases.
daughters and scores of other air passengers who were
stranded in Kano on Friday evening finally arrived Abuja at
about 3am on Saturday.
The Arik Air’s Boeing 737 aircraft in which they were
travelling from Yola, the state capital to Abuja was diverted
to the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano
initially on the excuse of bad weather in the nation’s
capital.
The Flight W3 409 left Yola at about 4:35pm as against its
scheduled take off time of 3:10pm and landed in Kano at
about 6pm after failed attempts to land in Abuja.
The airline’s officials advised passengers not to disembark
from the aircraft in Kano because they were passengers on
transit who would be conveyed to Abuja immediately the
weather condition improved.
They were however taken aback when the captain
announced at about an hour later that it would not be safe
to fly the aircraft to Abuja because it had developed a
technical problem.
He said he had contacted the airline’s office and that
another aircraft would be sent to convey the stranded
passengers.
All the passengers, including the governor, his family
members, his lawyer, Festus Keyamo, and top government
officials then disembarked to wait for the new aircraft.
Contrary to the airline officials’ promise that the aircraft
would arrive in an hour or two, the Flight W3 728 only
touched ground in Kano at about 1.20am on Saturday.
The aircraft finally left Kano with the governor and other
passengers at about 2:05am and landed in Abuja at about
2:45am, over 10 hours after the initially scheduled arrival
time of 4.20pm (Friday).
Most of the passengers had to remain at the Nnamdi
Azikwe International Airport, Abuja until daybreak before
proceeding to their final destinations.
As at the time the flight finally took off, some passengers,
including Keyamo, were no longer present as they had
made alternative arrangements.
Ngilari was however said to have stopped his aides from
making alternative arrangement for him, saying he would
rather stay with the passengers, most of whom are from his
state.
Meanwhile, before the flight was diverted, passengers had
joined the governor to celebrate his victory at the court.
A Federal High Court Abuja had on Wednesday ordered the
state Chief Judge to swear in Ngilari as the state governor.
The court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Adeniyi
Ademola, had nullified the swearing-in of Ahmadu Fintiri as
the state Acting Governor while declaring the resignation of
Ngilari as unconstitutional, null and void.
Shortly after the flight took off, the governor left his seat in
the Business Class for the Economy Class where he shook
hands with everybody on board, one after the other.
Some passengers quickly brought out their cameras and
iPads among others which they used to take photographs
with the governor.
While that was going on, the Head of the cabin crew made
an announcement, congratulating the new governor.
She wished him a successful tenure at the helms of affairs
in the state.
Passengers in the Business Class later welcomed the
governor back with a loud applause and standing ovation.
Meanwhile, two Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mr. Kayode
Olatoke and Mr. John Baiyeshea, on Friday described the
swift execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court,
Abuja Division delivered by Justice Adeniyi Ademola as a
positive and welcome development.
In separate interviews with our correspondent in Ilorin on
Friday, the lawyers noted that the judgment and its swift
execution had further reinforced the ability of the judiciary
to correct and strengthen the polity.
According to Olatoke, the developments indicate that the
judiciary is alive to its responsibilities.
He said, “I agree with the judgment. It shows that the
judiciary is up to the task and alive to its responsibilities.
That is what we are going to continue to have. It is a
welcome development.”
Baiyeshea also said the swiftness with which the judgment
was executed had strengthened the ability of the judiciary
to be seen as discharging its functions creditably.
He added that the judgment had shown that Ngilari did not
resign as people were made to believe.
Baiyeshea said, “It is a very happy development. I heard the
judgment but I did not know that the people would react
very quickly like that. If this is the new development in
Nigeria’s legal system of how to comply with the judgment
of the court, it is a welcome development
“While I commend the swift compliance with the judgment, I
want to say it is also an admission that they misled the
whole country by saying the deputy governor resigned
when he did not resign. It is terrible.”
Baiyeshea added that the judgment would be an example
for subsequent cases.
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