Posted by Femi Makinde on
Despite the administration of a sedative on her, the wife of the pilot of the ill-fated Sosoliso Airlines, Mrs. Dupe Adebayo, could not sleep in the last 24hours.
Despite the administration of a sedative on her, the wife of the pilot of the ill-fated Sosoliso Airlines, Mrs. Dupe Adebayo, could not sleep in the last 24hours.
When our correspondent visited the home of Captain Adebayo on Adekunle Adebayo Street in Ope Ilu area of Agbado Crossing, in Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, a friend of the family's who had been with Mrs. Adebayo since Saturday, said she had been distraught.
She confirmed on Sunday afternoon that Mrs. Adebayo had neither slept nor responded to sedative administered on her by the family doctor, since Saturday.
Mrs. Adebayo was observed by our correspondent holding a copy of the Holy Bible tightly to her bosom at around 12.30 pm.
She was looking transfixed, sighing occasionally in the midst of two friends who dabbed her face with cold water.
It was also learnt that she had neither taken any food nor water. Following the insistence of family members and friends, a medical team was again called in to see her around 2pm.
She was consequently taken into a secluded room. Some family members who prevented our correspondent from speaking with her said she felt so terribly hit by her husband's death because both of them were virtually inseparable whenever the man was not on duty. 'They did virtually everything together," one of them who declined to mention his name stated.
However, in a short interview, 16-year-old Florida, daughter of the deceased pilot, described the death of her father as a 'sad miracle" which was 'unbelievable."
Recalling her last moment with her late father, Florida, who has just finished secondary education, said her father called her around 9pm on Friday, less than 24 hours to the crash, 'just to say hello to me."
She added, 'I didn't have any clue that he was going to die. He was one of the best pilots in the country and he was always safety conscious."
The atmosphere around the house was expectedly tense as sympathisers streamed in to commiserate with the family. Many of them were openly wailing.
A condolence register has been opened. One of the deceased's colleagues, Jimi Odogwu, who signed the register, described Adebayo as 'a colleague with impeccable character."
Another person who gave his name as Major Oladeji wrote: 'Dear, everyone, especially my family, will miss you. We love you but God loves you most, bye."
One of the deceased's neighbours, who gave his name simply as Olatunji, said Adebayo was a friendly person in his area.
'He loved everybody, both the young and the old, the educated and the illiterate. He was just so nice. He ought not to die now. It's too early for him to leave. I tell you, if he had contested for a political office in this area, he would have won unopposed," he said.
The PUNCH, Monday, December 12, 2005