Court admits document seeking to stop inquest into Dana crash

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Thursday admitted an affidavit filed by Dana Air which supports the request of a Non-Governmental Organisation – Civil Aviation Round Table Initiatives- seeking to stop the proceedings of a Lagos State coroner court over the June 3rd air crash which killed over 153 people.
The Presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang overruled an objection by counsel to the state, Akinjide Bakare, that the rules of the court only permits a defendant to file a counter-affidavit to a plaintiff’s motion on notice and not an affidavit in support like the one filed by Dana.
The NGO, and its President, Captain Dele Ore, had in their suit, joined as defendants Dana Air with the coroner presiding over the inquest, Oyetade Komolafe, the Lagos State Chief Coroner, the state Chief Judge, and the Attorney-General of the state.
The other defendants are the Ministry of Aviation, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Accident Investigation Bureau, and the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority.
The judge also turned down Mr Bakare’s request to vacate the interim order restraining the continuation of the proceedings of the coroner court.
The plaintiffs, Captain Dele Ore and the NGO in the suit are seeking an order of interlocutory injunction and an order nullifying the proceedings of the inquest as they insist that the coroner has no power to conduct an inquest into an air accident.
The matter was been adjourned till the 13th of September for definite hearing.