Nigeria Content Online

Barely a month
after the death of Fatima Ajani, on board Ethiopian Airlines, another
Nigerian, Ebegboni Matti, died on Sunday in Addis Ababa aboard another
flight. Mr. Matti, accompanied by his wife Stella, was on his way to
Bombay, India, for a medical check-up.

John Ejinaka, the
Head of Chancery, Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia confirmed to the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Addis Ababa that Mr. Matti,
died some minutes before the aircraft landed at Bole International
airport.

The aircraft, which
departed Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, was to land in
Addis Ababa, while passengers travelling to Dubai, India and other
countries were to transit to their respective destinations.

According to the
Head of the Chancery, the deceased’s wife said she accompanied her
husband last year to India for treatment and that they were travelling
back for a medical check-up when he suddenly found it difficult to
breath. She said she demanded for oxygen from the cabin crew when the
husband could not breathe properly but none was provided up to the time
he eventually collapsed and died.

Mr. Ejinaka said the corpse, has been deposited at Menelik Hospital morgue, and will be transported to Nigeria on Tuesday.

He revealed that
the embassy recorded three such cases last year and six others in 2009
and advised those suffering from heart-related illness to avoid
transiting through Ethiopia because of the country’s high elevation and
shortage of oxygen.

He also urged
Ethiopian airlines to always screen their passengers before boarding in
order to ascertain their health status before departure. ‘‘The number
of casualties is increasing, the airline should screen their passengers
and ascertain those going for treatment of heart related ailments.
Those who should travel with doctors should be advised to do so in
order to reduce the increasing incidents of Nigerians losing their
lives on their way for treatment or returning from treatment’’, he said.

Two weeks ago
another Nigerian returning from Bombay , where he went for heart
treatment found it difficult to breath, however the situation was saved
as the patient was quickly rushed to the hospital. He was discharged
after spending 10 days and doctors certified that he could travel.