WHEN OUR FATHERS PRAY: Olorun Má Jẹ́ Kí A Bá Oloriburuku Wò Ọkọ pọ̀

When Flydubai Flight FZ1073 left Dubai for Tel Aviv on September 30, the 174 passengers on board expected an ordinary journey home. Many of them would have taken selfies. Many would have asked their loved ones to prepare a delicious meal ahead of their arrival. They had aspirations.

Among them were a plumber, a dentist, and two other travellers who simply wanted to return to their families. But less than three hours later, all four would find themselves fighting—literally—for the survival of everyone around them.

ADVERTISEMENT

The incident, now widely reported across international aviation channels, began inside the cockpit. Captain Smit Machchhar was allegedly attacked and seriously injured by his co‑pilot. The aircraft began losing altitude rapidly. Blood was seen on the floor. Shouting echoed through the cabin. For a moment, the fate of the aircraft hung in the balance.

Yet in that moment of chaos, something remarkable happened.

Despite his injuries, Captain Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door. That single act opened the way for a chain of ordinary people to do extraordinary things. He activated the last opportunity that he had.

Heroes in Unexpected Places

Among the first to respond was Yaniv Hayoun, a 50‑year‑old plumber. He rushed forward, helped overpower the co‑pilot, and then noticed something terrifying: no one was properly controlling the aircraft. Drawing from aviation knowledge he picked up watching Air Crash Investigation, Hayoun grabbed the controls and pulled back, helping stabilize the aircraft until qualified pilots could take over. This teaches us that no experience is lost.

Tzvika Manes and Asaf Rajuan joined him in restraining the attacker and restoring order inside the cockpit.

Meanwhile, Dr. Shota Musayev, a dentist returning from China, heard the commotion and ran forward. He was the only medical professional on board. With the captain bleeding heavily, Musayev worked to stop the blood loss and stabilize his blood pressure until landing.

Off‑duty pilots who happened to be traveling on the flight then took control of the aircraft and diverted it safely to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All 174 passengers survived – Glory Glory Halleluyah.

The following day, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that he would recommend Hayoun, Manes, Rajuan, and Musayev for the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism. He also praised Captain Machchhar, whose courage made every other act of rescue possible.

A Yoruba Lens on a Global Incident

For many Nigerians especially Yoruba people, this incident strikes a familiar chord. It echoes a prayer our fathers and mothers have repeated for generations before any journey:

“Olorun má jẹ́ kí a bá oloriburuku wò ọkọ ọ̀pọ̀.” God, do not let us share a vehicle with a cursed or dangerous person.

In Yoruba culture, an oloriburuku is not merely a “bad person.” He is someone whose presence brings calamity. Someone whose intentions are dark. Someone who can destroy the destinies of innocent people simply by being in the same vehicle, bus, boat, or aircraft.

An oloriburuku can cause:

• sudden danger where peace once existed,
• tragedy for people who did nothing wrong,
• confusion and fear,
• and in extreme cases—death.

On Flight FZ1073, there was an oloriburuku in the cockpit.

Growing Up With Yoruba Travel Wisdom

Many Yoruba children grew up hearing their parents pray:

• “Kí ọkọ má bàjẹ́, ki brake ma fail .” — May the vehicle not develop fault, may the brake not fail
• “Kí awakọ̀ má gbabode.” — In Yoruba usage, gbabode carries a deeper meaning than just “lose control.” It implies: acting recklessly, becoming careless at a critical moment, failing in duty, or behaving in a way that endangers others.

“Kí a má rìn lọ́jọ́ tí ẹ̀bí ń pa ọ̀nà.” – “May we never travel on a day when misfortune is waiting on the road.”

“Kí Ọlọ́run ṣọ wa.” – “May God watch over us.” (The ultimate Yoruba acknowledgment that protection is divine.)

Unfortunately, today, people often assume that because they worked hard for their money, booked their flight with a reputable airline, boarded a sophisticated aircraft, trusted trained professionals, …that all is automatically well.

But the Flydubai incident reminds us again that safety does not come from metal, money, or modernity. Safety belongs to God.

As Scripture puts it:

“The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord.” — Proverbs 21:31

The Danger of an Insider

How does one explain that a man entrusted with the responsibility of transporting people safely would turn around to become an agent of death? This is the terror of an insider threat—one of the most difficult dangers to detect globally.

If not for divine intervention and human courage, the story could have ended differently and destinies would have been destroyed with families shattered.

What if the attacker had used another method? What if he had poisoned the captain’s drink? What if he had waited until landing?

Only God truly secures a man.

The Power of Preparedness

The captain must have been physically fit; otherwise, a premeditated attacker could have overpowered him easily. His strength bought time. His instinct—his “street sense”—saved lives.

This incident also highlights the importance of basic emergency training. Where is our Boys Scout culture? Where is our survival education? Many adults would have been shouting instead of helping.

Yet on that flight, strangers became saviors.

A Chain of Miracles

A captain opened a door. A plumber steadied an aircraft. Passengers restrained a dangerous situation. A dentist became an emergency doctor. Off‑duty pilots landed the plane.

In the end, the Flydubai incident reminds us of a truth our fathers understood long before modern aviation, GPS navigation or cockpit automation: that human skill may guide a journey, but divine mercy completes it. Yoruba travellers have always prayed not only for the vehicle and the driver, but for the unseen forces that shape every mile of a journey. And on Flight FZ1073, where a trusted insider became an unexpected threat and strangers became instruments of rescue, the ancient wisdom proved itself again. Preparation matters, courage matters, training matters—but safety, in its deepest sense, remains in the hands of God.