Five top officials of the National Universities Commission (NUC) were among victims of the ill-fated Dana Airline Flight 0992 which crashed into residential buildings in Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos state on Sunday.

Executive Secretary of the commission, Professor Julius Okogie made this known, while receiving the Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufai at the commission’s office in Abuja on Monday. Prof Rufai was on a condolence visit to the commission.

The late officials include, the former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology (FUTO) Owerri, Professor Celestine Onwuliri and four deputy directors who left Abuja for an official assignment in Lagos.

Prof Okogie prayed for the families of those who lost their lives in the crash saying the education sector would be in mourning for a long period.

Signing the condolence registers amidst tears, the Minister of Education, Prof Rufai, said the nation did not deserve to be thrown into this magnitude of disaster.

She pledged to provide full support to the families of the victims.