The truth in the claim by Associated
Airline Limited that its aircraft that crashed on Thursday, killing 13 people
and injuring seven while conveying the remains of former Ondo State Governor,
Chief Olusegun Agagu, was insured with SEMA Insurance Company could not be
established yesterday.
The Nation investigation Newspaper revealed
that of the 59 existing insurance companies in the country, there is none known
by that name.
The Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation,
which the airline claimed was its reinsurer also denied any business
relationship with the airline.
In a telephone interview with our
correspondent, the regulatory body of the insurance sector, the National
Insurance Commission (NAICOM) confirmed that there is no insurance company in
Nigeria known as SEMA Insurance.
Although the commission could not
disclose the insurer or reinsurer of the airline at press time, it promised to
inform the public on the matter soon.
NAICOM Spokesman, Rasaaq Salami,
said he was shocked at the claim by the airline that its aircraft was insured
by SEMA.
A senior manager of Nigeria
Reinsurance Corporation, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of
anonymity, also said the company was surprised to hear its name mentioned by
the airline as its aircraft’s reinsurer.
“We are surprised, but we have also taken
steps to find out why our name was mentioned. We are going to counter the
statement soon,” he said.
Following the crash of the ill-fated
Embraer 120 marked 5NBJY, the Chief Operating Officer of Associated Airline
Limited, Alhaji Taiwo Raji, while briefing aviation correspondents at the
Murtala Mohammed Airport, had said that the aircraft was insured with SEMA
Insurance Company and reinsured with Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation.
Raji said: “Flight 361 departed
Lagos en route Akure when it crashed. The aircraft is 23 years old, and the
last maintainance on the aircraft was carried out on June 14, 2013. The
aircraft flew last on August 30, 2013. The airline has 10 aircraft out of which
six are serviceable.
“Of the 20 passengers that were on
board, 13 have been confirmed dead, while there are seven survivors.
“Of the seven survivors, five of
them are at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. One of them is at the
Nigeria Air Force Hospital, while the other survivor is at the Federal Medical
Centre at Ebute Meta.”
In his reaction, the spokesman of
the Federal Airport Authority, Mr. Yakubu Dati, said: “The inquiry as regards
whether they have insurance cover or not can best be answered by the author of
the statement.”
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