A Nigerian family has raised the alarm over the death of their mother aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Abuja to Washington DC, United States, demanding clarity on the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The family, who requested anonymity, took to social media to seek public assistance, alleging that the woman died mid-air under unclear conditions.
In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), one of the deceased woman’s daughters appealed to fellow passengers on the flight to come forward with information about what transpired before her mother’s death.
According to the family, repeated efforts to obtain an explanation from Ethiopian Airlines have so far yielded no satisfactory response. They maintained that the deceased was not sick prior to boarding the flight.
In her appeal, the daughter said:
“This woman boarded Ethiopian Airlines on January 19, 2026, from Abuja to Washington DC but died inside the plane. The family has contacted the airline to know the circumstances surrounding her death because she was not sick, but the airline has refused to speak with us.
“We are using this opportunity to call on anyone who travelled on the same aircraft, ET 950, to please get in touch with us through the email address I will drop here.
“Even airline officials who administered first aid to her on the plane have told us that they have been warned not to speak with the family or anyone about the incident.”
The family also urged Nigerians to continue sharing the video to draw the attention of relevant authorities and compel the airline to provide full details of the incident.
The appeal has since generated widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians calling for transparency and accountability from the airline and aviation authorities.
Reacting to the development, the spokesman of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Michael Achimugu, confirmed that the authority was aware of the incident and was actively engaging both the family and Ethiopian Airlines.
“The NCAA is aware of this case. We are in touch with the family of the deceased as well as the airline. Ethiopian Airlines has submitted their report, and we are waiting for some reports from the family,” he said.
Achimugu added: “We speak with the family almost daily, and we are committed to ensuring that full closure is achieved.”
