67-Year-Old Nigerian Man Found Dead In His Seat On US-Bound Flight

Houston police are awaiting autopsy results on a Nigerian man, who died at about 8:25 a.m. Tuesday on a US-bound flight out of Lagos.

The male, Benedict Sylvester Igwedike, 67, of Lagos, Nigeria, died on board a United Airlines flight.

According to HPD Homicide Division Senior Police Officer, M. Miller, patrol officers responded to a deceased male who was on board the United Airlines flight #143 arriving from Lagos, Nigeria.

Miller said: "Further investigation determined Mr. Igwedike passed away shortly after the flight departed from Nigeria.

"The flight was then rerouted to Dakar, Senegal. After refuelling, authorities in Senegal rerouted the flight to Houston."

The investigation is pending Igwedike's cause of death says Miller.

The normal time for the direct flight between Lagos and Houston, Texas is about 13 hours but the plane was diverted to the capital of Senegal ostensibly to administer further medical treatment on the late Igwedike.