Dana Air crash: Aviation minister summoned to testify

Aviation Minister Princess Stella Oduah has been summoned to appear
before an inquest into the 2012 Dana plane crash which killed 153
people.

Coroner Oyetade Komolafe today said Ms Oduah could some light into the
cause of the accident that claimed passengers' lives and of some
residents of Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State.

Komolafe said it was necessary for the minister to make an appearance
before the hearing closed.

He said: "Let the minister of aviation come and see what we are doing
here and when she comes, we will have some questions for her."

Komolafe also summoned a pathologist, Prof. Adekunbi Banjo Banjo who
is a consultant with the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB)to
testify.

The pathologist is to appear before the inquest on May 22 but no
specific date was fixed for Oduah's appearance.

The coroner said she was free to decide when to appear between May 20 and 24.

Babatunde Irukera, AIB's counsel, asked the inquest to call Banjo to testify.

Irukera said the testimony of the pathologist, who had worked
previously with AIB on other crashes, would assist the coroner to
arrive at the truth.

He said Banjo was being called to refute some of the claims made by
Prof. John Obafunwa, the Chief Medical Examiner of Lagos State.