Retired Air Vice Marshal dies midair on London–Abuja flight
By Jeffrey Agbo
A British Airways flight en route from London to Abuja was forced to make an emergency diversion to Barcelona, Spain, in the early hours of Monday after a retired Nigerian Air Vice Marshal (AVM), Osita Obierika, died onboard.
The BA aircraft, which left London’s Heathrow Airport at 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 5, was scheduled to arrive at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja by 5:00 a.m. Monday before the unexpected incident occurred.
The deceased, one of only a few surviving retired Air Vice Marshals from Anambra State, was among the 20 top generals of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) who officially retired in July 2008 — a cohort that included 14 Air Vice Marshals and six Air Commodores. All had reached the mandatory retirement age, according to the Air Force.
The midair emergency reportedly caused distress among passengers, with confusion on board leading to a second medical situation involving a pregnant woman. Her condition could not be confirmed as of press time.
British Airways, in a message sent to passengers, apologised for the disruption and assured them of its support.
“Passengers are advised to expect an email with more information and can reach out to the airline’s Live Chat feature for support. British Airways acknowledges the inconvenience and thanks passengers for their patience and understanding,” the airline stated.
The airline confirmed that a replacement aircraft would complete the journey to Abuja. Initially scheduled to leave Barcelona at 2:00 p.m. local time and arrive in Abuja at 7:00 p.m., the departure time was later adjusted to 2:50 p.m., with arrival expected around 5:45 p.m. Nigerian time.
British Airways reiterated its apology for the disruption and said the replacement flight was proceeding as planned.
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