Kamsiyochukwu Mbamalu
Prime Business Africa authoritatively reports that Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tugger, and former Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Chief Niyi Adebayo, were passengers on the British Airways’ London-Abuja flight which detoured to El Prat Airport in Barcelona after another passenger, Air Vice Marshal Osita Obierika (rtd) had a medcal emergency and died onboard.
Also spotted in the Flight BA83, which took off from the London Heathrow Airport at 11 pm on Sunday and originally scheduled to arrive the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja at 4.30 am on Monday, is the Managing Director of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr Gbenga Alade.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe emergency was announced midflight by the pilot at about 1.30 am and it later created a medical situation with a pregnant woman who was also onboard, accortding to Prime Business Africa’s original reports on the matter on Monday morning. This newspaper is yet to receive response from the British Airways Commercial Department after it sent some queries seeking further clarification on the matter involving the unnamed pregnant woman and the passengers who complained they were stranded at the El Prat Barcelona Airport for about 12 hours before help could come.
Authoritative sources at the airport say the replacement aircraft which later took off after more than 12 hours delay in Barcelona, Spain finally touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at exactly 7.35 pm Monday (October 6, 2025).
Prime Business Africa was not able talk to the Foreign Affairs Minister and the former trade Minister who were still inflight as of the time of filing the report but sources close to them say they both informally interacted with Nigerians during the 12-hour delay at the El Prat Ariroprt and later inside the replacement aircraft and expressed their deep condolences with the family of late AVM Obierika.
Passengers, on arrival at the Abuja airport, said everyoone was devasted by the unfortunate incident. none of the passengers could account for the pregnant woman who reportedly had emergency when the medicaal incident occured early Monday morning.
