Shehu Shagari was a Nigerian politician who became the country’s first democratically elected president from 1979 to 1983. He belonged to the Fulani aristocratic family.
His narrative, as a teacher who entered politics in 1951 and served as a federal minister and commissioner in finance, works, and economic development before becoming president, is inspiring.
Sadly, he died on December 28, 2018, at the age of 93, following a brief illness at the National Hospital in Abuja.
However, Shagari’s life was not flawless. It was a life full of trials, blessings, and challenges. Shagari suffered a severe setback 23 years after being deposed in a coup. On October 29, 2006, he lost one of his sons, Shagari A.S (Abdulrahman Shehu), as well as four grandchildren, in a devastating plane disaster. It was truly a sad event.
ADC Airlines Flight 053 – How did it happen?
On Sunday morning, October 29, 2006, a Boeing 737-2B7 with registration 5N-BFK crashed shortly after takeoff from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Nigeria.
The sad catastrophe claimed the lives of 96 persons, including notable Nigerians like Sultan Muhammadu Maccido and Senator Badamasi Maccido, among others.
A check revealed that five (5) crew members also died, but nine (9) people survived, including Esther Omojafor, who later related their tragic stories.
WITHIN NIGERIA learned that the crash was caused by pilot error, notably the crew’s inability to recover from a wind shear encounter.
It was also gathered that the plane took off into a rainstorm, and the crew’s ineffective response to the wind shear caused an aerodynamic stall, which resulted in the deadly accident.
Notable victims of the crash include Sultan Muhammadu Maccido, the spiritual leader of Nigeria’s 70 million Muslims, Abdulrahman Shehu Shagari*, the son of former President Shehu Shagari, Senator Badamasi Maccido, the son of Sultan Muhammadu Maccido, and Dr. Nnennia Mgbor, the first female West African ENT surgeon, among others.
Furthermore, four children, Abdulrahman R. (6 years old), Abdurahman S. (8 years old), Abdurahman N. (5 years old), and Abdurahman B. (11 years old), were tied to Shagari Abdulrahman Shehu, son of previous President Shagari, and died in the plane accident.