Dana Plane Crash Victims’ DNA Results Out

The Deoxyrebonucleic Acid, DNA, test results for the victims of the Dana plane crash of June 3, 2012 done in the United Kingdom, have arrived the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, with 107 bodies now identified.

Among the identified bodies were those of the former General Manager, Public Relations of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, the late Levi Ajuonuma, Hope Okeke, Ehime Aikhomu, and Yu Rui among others.

However, Consultant Forensic Pathologist and Chief Examiner, Prof. John Obafunwa, said 16 bodies could not be identified probably because of heat, mangled bodies or the samples collected could not match with any of the charred bodies.

This was coming on the heels of a closed-door meeting by the Lagos State Government and relatives of the victims at LASUTH, Ikeja, Wednesday.

Confirming the development to newsmen after the meeting, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said:

“We have results of the analysis from the UK, and experts are reviewing the results. We felt it is necessary to brief the relatives of the victims.

“Part of the aim is to let them know the processes for collection of the bodies. We will start releasing the bodies tomorrow in batches of 20 to prevent chaos. The other important reason for briefing them is to acquaint them with the legal issues involved like the issue of next-of-kin.

“For instance, if the next-of-kin is not available, only the person he or she authorises to collect the body will be attended to. Identification documents such as international passport, National identity card or driver’s licence. Death certificates will equally be issued for the deceased.”

Idris said the bodies would be released in alphabetical order to ease the process.

Meanwhile, the names of the victims identified have been pasted at the Lekan Ogunshola Memorial Morgue and relatives were expected to come with appropriate documents to claim the bodies.

He noted that in cases where the next-of-kin is not available to claim the bodies, the hospital would only release bodies to spouses, parents, siblings, half-sisters and nephews who present legal documents authorised by the next of kin.

He said: “It is only the next-of-kin that we are to release the bodies to by law, but in cases where they cannot come, we will release to the spouse, parents, children, half-sisters and brothers and siblings in that order.”