The tragic crash of a helicopter operated by East Winds Aviation, which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while en route to the FPSO—NUIMS ANTAN facility off the coast of Bonny Finima in Port Harcourt left the entire country in mourning.

However, for the families of the six Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) employees who perished in the crash last Thursday, one cannot begin to imagine the pain they will have to endure.

As we speak, messages are still pouring in on social media as Nigerians rally around the family of the deceased to console them.

This period of mourning, however did not stop the curiosity from growing among Nigerians.

They were eager to know the identity of those involved in the tragic incident.

As the search and rescue mission continued, with the death toll steadily rising, Nigerians became more and more curious.

Well, worry no more.

The identities of the six deceased employees who perished in the tragic helicopter crash have been revealed.

The workers identified are Tamunoemi Suku, Alu Lawrence, Etim Emmanuel, Kenneth Chikwem, Frank Oriamre, and Borris Ndorbo.

The pilot, Captain Yakubu Dukas, was among those confirmed dead, while the identity of the eighth passenger aboard remains unknown as of the latest updates.

Captain Yakubu Dukas

The National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, while expressing profound sorrow over the loss of Dukas, described him as a seasoned pilot with over 20 years of experience.

Dukas was also said to have served as the vice president of the union.

Relatives and friends of the deceased took to social media to share their grief, with Thandazile Artemis mourning, “Captain Yakubu Dukas, my sweetest Uncle Yaks. This isn’t how it was meant to be.”

A Twitter user, @vanniebee, wrote: “Captain Yakubu Dukas! I’m in shock and may never recover from this.”

Tamunoemi Suku

Tamunoemi Suku, a medical doctor and graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, described himself on Facebook as “gentle and highly principled.”

Hailing from Kalabari, Rivers State, he attended Enitona High School in Port Harcourt before pursuing his medical studies.

Suku’s Facebook presence is minimal, with his birthday on November 13 being one of the few events he celebrated online.

He married Laura Emi-Suku, an entrepreneur, on April 18, 2015, and they lived together in Port Harcourt. Friends paid tributes to him online, with Charity Eberechukwu Onuh stating, “what a great loss. Oh my God! Rest in Peace.”

Lawrence Alu

Known as “Fly Guy” on Facebook, Lawrence Alu hailed from Abbi, Rivers State, and resided in Lagos.

Also Read: Port Harcourt Helicopter Crash: President Tinubu Issues Fresh Directive To Military

He studied at the Regional Maritime Academy in Accra, Ghana.

His relative, Innocent Ibeyenwo, expressed sorrow over his death on Facebook, saying: “My brother Lawrence Alu, it’s so painful to hear you were among those involved in the helicopter crash. May God grant your family the strength to bear this loss.”

Another user, Taiwo Omotuyine, reflected on their time together, stating, “the law is gone; he was my colleague.”

Frank Oriamre

Originally from Edo State, Frank Oriamre maintained a sparse social media presence, with only two posts: one depicting him in a yellow overall next to a Christmas tree and another featuring colleagues he referred to as part of his production crew.

Borris Ndorbo

A graduate of Rivers State University, Borris Ndorbo lived in Port Harcourt with his wife. He had been employed in the floating production, storage, and offloading sector since August 28, 2023.

His social media activity was minimal, with his last post being a selfie taken in a helicopter along with a nostalgic photo captioned; “Good friends. Just something important to remember.”

Following the crash, President Bola Tinubu expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and directed authorities to escalate search and rescue efforts.

Reports have it that the bodies of five victims have been recovered, but three individuals are still unaccounted for.