Ethiopian Airlines: Nigerian Writer Pius Adesanmi Among 157 Killed In Plane Crash

Pius Adesanmi, a renowned Nigerian writer, was among the 157 passengers that lost their lives in the Boeing 737 aircraft belonging to Ethiopian Airlines, that crashed in the early hours of Sunday.

The Kenyan-bound aircraft was said to have departed the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa at about 8:03 a.m. and lost signal at 8:44 a.m.

The B-737-800MAX with registration number ET- AVJ, was carrying 149 passengers and eight crew members when it crashed. All 157 persons aboard were confirmed dead few hours after the incident.

The sad death of Adesanmi, was confirmed by Presidential aide, Laolu Akande, on Sunday evening.

We mourn, with his family & associates, one of our notable public intellectuals of the day, Pius Adesanmi, award-winning writer & Canada-based professor, who reportedly passed on in today's unfortunate Ethiopian Airlines crash. What a painful loss! May his memory be blessed.

— Laolu Akande (@akandeoj) March 10, 2019

Ethiopian Airlines had earlier announced that the incident occurred around Bishoftu in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.

Adesanmi was a Nigerian-born Canadian professor, writer and literary critic, satirist, and columnist. He is the author of Naija No Dey Carry Last, a collection of satirical essays. He teaches at Carlton University in Canada.

Meanwhile, according to reports, another Nigerian national, Ambassador Abiodun Bashua of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was said to have also died in the crashed aircarft.