Meshiloye Remilekun Toyosi, a Nigerian Passenger bound for London, tragically lost her life during a flight stopover in Cairo, Egypt. Reports indicate that she fell ill on her journey from Lagos to London via Egypt Air and subsequently passed away at a hospital in Cairo.
The fateful journey commenced on a Monday, with Ms. Meshioye departing from Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport, intending to reach her final destination in London. In the wake of this heartbreaking incident, her family has reached out, seeking information and support to repatriate her body back home.
Mrs. Olufunmilola Olaniyi-Alabi, Meshioye’s elder sister, recounted the family’s efforts to obtain information regarding the unfortunate incident. They attempted to contact the airline’s customer service and other phone numbers listed on the airline’s website, but their inquiries went unanswered until Wednesday. When they finally managed to get through, their call was abruptly disconnected.
According to Mrs. Olaniyi-Alabi, only one of their calls to Egypt Air’s Regional Office in London received a response, where they were informed that the London office had no knowledge of the incident and could not provide any information. Subsequently, they contacted the ticket agent, who furnished them with proof that Meshioye did not board the flight bound for Heathrow from Cairo. This prompted the family to intensify their efforts to establish contact with Egypt Air.
The family’s persistence eventually led to communication with the regional manager in Egypt Air’s London office, who made inquiries with their Cairo office. The manager conveyed that Meshioye had fallen ill on the plane and was rushed to a local hospital upon landing in Cairo, where she later passed away. The family’s attempts to obtain more detailed information about the circumstances of her death were met with limited success.
The Nigerian embassy was eventually informed by Egypt Air of the tragic incident, and the Nigerian Consular, Mr. Saliu Agraza, was contacted. However, the airline maintained that only Mr. Agraza, in his capacity as the Nigerian Consular, had the authority to request information about the incident, including the CCTV footage from the plane and airport.
The family expressed concerns that Egypt Air might be withholding information about the events on the flight and during the landing in Cairo. They called for Egypt Air to bear the costs of repatriating Meshioye’s body to Nigeria and returning all her belongings to Lagos, where she boarded the flight on September 4.
While an official statement from Egypt Air remains pending, an anonymous high-ranking officer from the airline revealed that Meshioye was indeed on the flight and was subsequently taken to a hospital in Cairo by the airline upon arrival. The airline acted as a guarantor for her medical care and subsequently informed the Nigerian Consulate in Cairo about the situation. Plans are underway to repatriate her remains to Nigeria.
Another family member, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed their distress at learning about Meshioye’s demise from the diplomatic office in Cairo rather than through direct communication from the airline. The family stressed the importance of understanding the circumstances leading to her death.
In their quest for answers, the family has reached out to Nigerian authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urging a thorough investigation into the incident and seeking guidance and assistance in repatriating Meshioye’s remains to Nigeria.
