The True Story of the 1993 Nigeria Airways Hijacking Over June 12
On 25 October 1993, four young Nigerians hijacked Nigeria Airways Flight 470 while it was travelling from Lagos to Abuja. Their central demand was for the government to recognise MKO Abiola as winner of the annulled 12 June presidential election. The Airbus A310 was diverted to Niamey, Niger Republic. The hijackers released 129 passengers, including Chinese Vice President Rong Yiren, but kept crew members and some Nigerian officials as negotiations continued. They also demanded renewed investigations into the deaths of Dele Giwa and victims of the 1992 Nigerian Air Force C-130 crash. After four days, Nigerien security forces stormed the aircraft, arrested the four hijackers and ended the standoff. Flight attendant Ethel Igwe was killed during the operation. The men were later imprisoned in Niger for more than nine years. The 2024 film Hijack '93 renewed interest in the incident, which remains a striking episode in the struggle that followed the annulment of the June 12 election.
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