Lagos — The management of Dana Airline, whose aircraft crash-landed on June 3, 2012 at Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos State, killing 153 people, have been asked to attend the next coroner inquest set up by the state government or risk arrest.

The Coroner of Alimosho district in Lagos, Oyetade Alexander Komolafe, who presided over the sitting yesterday expressed dismay over the absence of Dana Airline management.

"I don't think Dana Airline is here. The sheriff has been to its office severally, trying to serve the company, but without success. Don't forget that if you are summoned and fail to come, you can be arrested. A publication had also been made so that no one will claim not to know what we are doing," he said.

At the inaugural sitting, counsel to the parties expressed confusion as regards the modalities and target of the inquest, leading to an argument on how the coroner should handle the inquest.

It was later agreed that counsel to interested parties should forward written disposition while those who want to give oral evidence would also be allowed to do so.

Two members of the public, Capt. Tito Omawumi and Dafe Sama, announced their appearances at the inquest, stating that they came to assist the coroner in unravelling the circumstances surrounding the incident and other crashes in the country. Omawumi said he had 25 years flight experience while Sama introduced himself as a former staff of Nigerian Airways, who missed the crashed Dana flight by an hour.

Sama, who however, said that he lost a cousin and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Awani in the incident, attributed the death of most of the passengers to suffocation, blaming the Search and Rescue team of the country for the casualty figure.

Some of those who appeared at the inquest through their counsel include; Minister of Aviation,

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authorities (NCAA) Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Authority (NAMA) among others.

Meanwhile, the coroner has called on members of the public and those who were at the scene of the incident to come forward with useful information that would help to unravel the circumstances that led to the crash.