The Management of the Ethiopian Airline has confirmed that two Nigerians are among the 157 passengers and eight crew that died in the Ethiopian Airlines 320 that crashed on Sunday.
The aircraft was en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi with 149 passengers and eight crew on board.An official of the airline who preferred anonymity said that Amb. Abiodun Bashua and Prof. Pius Adesanmi were two Nigerians that have their identity confirmed in the crash.
”Prof. Pius Adesanmi was carrying a Canadian passport.”The other Nigerian had a UN passport.
” I’ve just been informed now that we lost a high profile Nigerian, Amb. Abiodun Bashua in that crash.
”Bashua was the former UN and AU Deputy Joint Special Representative in Darfur, Sudan. A complete gentleman. May God rest his soul,” the official said.
A source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that Bashua was on board of the ill-fated flight.
The source added thatBashua was a retired Ambassador and on contract with United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Geoffrey Onyeama has condoled the families of Amb. Bashua and Prof. Adesanmi
The Airline Management said in a statement that an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crashed on Sunday morning en route from Addis Ababa to Nairobi with 149 passengers and eight crew believed to be on board.
“We hereby confirm that our scheduled flight ET 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi was involved in an accident today,” the airline said.
FG mourns late Amb. Bahsua
)The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has expressed shock over the death of Amb. Abiodun Bashua, a retired career Ambassador, who died in the Ethiopian Airlines that crashed on Sunday morning.
He was until his death, working on contract with the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (UNECA).
The Ministry said this a statement by its Spokesperson, Mr George Edokpa, on Sunday in Abuja. ”Ambassador Bashua was among 149 Passengers and eight Crew that were on board the ill-fated Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 to Nairobi, Kenya that crashed shortly after take off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Sunday killing all on board.
”Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and Staff of the Ministry received the sad news of his death with great shock and prayed that the Almighty God grant his family and the nation, the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
”Late Bashua, who hails from Lagos State, was born in Ibadan in 1951 and joined the Nigerian Foreign Service in 1976, ” it stated.
According to the ministry, the late Ambassador served in different capacities both at Headquarters and Foreign Missions such as: Vienna, Austria, Abidjan in Cote d’ivoire and Tehran in Iran among others.”
As a seasoned UN Expert, he had extensive experience in several United Nations peacekeeping operations in Africa.
”He joined the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur in 2009 and was appointed Deputy Joint Special Representative for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur in 2014 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
”Bashua also served as Secretary to the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
”The late Ambassador was also the interim Chairman of the Nigerian Community in Ethiopia,” it stated
