About 149 lives were lost precisely 18 years today after an EAS Airlines Flight 4226 en route Lagos from Kano crashed just three minutes after takeoff.
The regrettable incident did not only claimed the lives of the passengers on board but the lives of those in their home, pedestrians and those in local mosques in the residential area where the plane crashed.
There were 69 passengers and 8 crew members on board the plane that has been grounded for about two times before the crash because it was reported to have engine issues.
Despite this past records, the plane was put to work, thereby killing its almost everyone on board, including not less than 78 people at the site of the accident.
Residents of Gwannaja area of Kano State will never forget the 4th of May 2002 in a hurry after listening to the cries of victims of the plane crash cry for help while the toast in flames.
Some of them had to run to their badly demolished home to see if they would be able to rescue their loved one, crying form under the rumbles, while others tried to salvage the remainder of their properties almost consumed by fire.
Unfortunately, firefighters could not do much when they got to the site of the crash because water was not available to put the fire.
As bad as the day was, some miraculously made it out of it, persons like Army General Bozegha who died the second day because of his injuries.
Meanwhile, a Flight Attendant Naomi Ukpong, Idowu Adebayo Adesian B.A, Najeem Ibrahim and Brigadier General E.O Ikewugha came out alive but lived with their burn injuries.
Some of the passengers confined to be on board were three Catholic clergies, Rev. Damap K., Rev. Anegbe C.J. and Rev. Sister Benrett, a Nigerian Minister of Sport Ishaya Aku who was to attend an official assignment, Sulaiman Oyesola among others.
The family of the plane Pilot, Captian Inneh Peter, co-pilot, C.E Adegboye, flight engineers, Emmanuel Idoko and Muhammad Sarki will not forget their loses that is not 18 years old today.
Schools, mosques, and owners of the several buildings lost in the accident would also remember today and wonder how short 18 years could be.
We pray that the souls of those who died in the plane crash continue to rest in perfect peace.
