LAGOS, Nigeria (Voice of Naija) – A family has been left devastated after their daughter, Remilekun Toyosi Meshioye, died on board an Egypt Air flight from Lagos to London on Monday, September 5th. The flight had a layover in Cairo, Egypt, where the woman’s body was allegedly deposited without the knowledge or consent of her family.
According to a statement issued by the family, they were informed of Meshioye’s death by the consular office in Cairo rather than the airline itself. The family has expressed their shock and grief at the news and are now demanding answers as to what exactly happened and how they can bring their loved one’s body back to Nigeria.
The family’s grief has been compounded by the lack of information and communication from the airline. “We want to know what happened to our daughter and how we can bring her body back home,” said Olaniyi-Alabi. “We are still in shock and struggling to come to terms with this tragedy. We deserve answers and support from the airline during this difficult time.”
The incident has sparked outrage and concerns about the safety and welfare of passengers on Egypt Air flights. The airline has yet to issue a statement or provide any information regarding the circumstances surrounding Meshioye’s death.
Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, Meshioye’s elder sister, spoke on behalf of the family, stating that her sister left Lagos on Monday at 14:00 via Egyptair line but tragically died during the transit between Lagos and Cairo.
Olaniyi-Alabi confirmed that the family tried to contact EgyptAir’s customer care and other phone numbers listed on their website, but their calls went unanswered.
“It was only once that a man picked up the call that we put through to the EgyptAir Region Office in London, and he said the London office is not aware of what happened and they don’t have information to share with us.
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“So we were left with no choice but to report to the UK Police Department on Wednesday, and they later confirmed to us that our sister was not in the UK. They advised us to contact Cairo or Lagos airports. We contacted the agent who sold the ticket to her, and the agent sent us proof that she did not board the plane going to Heathrow from Cairo,” she explained.
She disclosed that it was at this point that they intensified their efforts as regards trying to get in touch with Egypt Air.
“Myself (elder sister to Remilekun) and my husband reside in Leeds, UK later travelled to London (Heathrow) on Wednesday night to get to London on Thursday morning and we demanded to see the EgyptAir regional manager in their London office who made some calls on Thursday afternoon in her office to their Cairo office.
“She later informed us that Remi fell sick in the plane and on landing in Cairo they rushed her to the hospital in town where she later died. The effort to obtain more information from her was not quite successful as to how she died. She said the Nigerian Embassy has been informed and they are the ones that should have contacted us. She later called the Nigeria consular (Saliu Agraza).
“I strongly feel that EgyptAir should have contacted us as the passenger’s next of kin against us struggling to get information which as at this time that I am writing, they are yet to provide to us.
“We spoke to the Nigerian Embassy in the person of Saliu Agraza who responded that EgyptAir only informed them on Tuesday that Remi is dead and handed over her body to them but did not have any other information or any contact of her relatives.
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“EygptAir further said that only the Nigerian Embassy in the person of Saliu as a Nigerian Consular will be able to write and demand for what happened on the plane and at the airport to Remilekun and request for all her belongings and documents that they have in their possession, including the CCTV footage in the plane and at the airport,”Olaniyi-Alabi said.
She stated that she is of the opinion that Egypt Air is hiding some truth as to what happened to her sister in the plane and on landing at the airport on Monday night and does not want to take responsibility for what happened to her.
“As a family of Remilekun, we are demanding for her body to be returned back to Nigeria by EgyptAir at their own expense and they should return all her luggage back to Lagos where she boarded the plane on Monday 4th of Sept,” she added.
A statement sent by Egypt Air in Lagos stated that the passengers’ route was Lagos London via CAI on the 4th September.
According to the airline, “When the passenger arrived at the transit area, she reported she was sick. The airport quarantine department was called to check her and decided she needed to be hospitalised.
“The airport authorities cleared and stamped her into the country and transferred her to the hospital. The Nigerian Embassy in Cairo was contacted (Tarek from public relations department) and was informed about the case
“More information and the following procedures to bring the body back need to be through the Nigerian Embassy in Cairo,” the airline stated.