Only the pilot could explain how he manoeuvred aircraft away from community — Aiyedatiwa

…laments gory scene, says no survivor found

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said only the pilot of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state, could explain the effort made to manoeuvre the aircraft away from the community before the crash.

Aiyedatiwa, who visited the crash site, said search and recovery operations for the victims and the main wreckage were still ongoing.

Describing the incident as a national tragedy, the governor said no survivor had been found as of the time of his visit, while 25 occupants were believed to have died in the crash.

Aiyedatiwa described the crash site as a “very gory sight,” saying body parts, clothes and jackets belonging to Air Force personnel, as well as broken aircraft parts, had been recovered and preserved for further investigation.

He said the main body of the aircraft had not been located and was believed to be submerged in the swamp.

According to him, the difficulty of accessing the crash site prompted him to direct the Ministry of Works to deploy two amphibious machines, popularly known as swamp buggies, to create wider access through the waterways.

He said the machines enabled rescue teams to move larger boats closer to the crash site and were also being used to excavate the soil in search of other parts of the wreckage.

“The aircraft has still not been sighted as of the time of my visit, while Navy personnel and local divers continued searching the deeper sections for possible bodies and the cockpit.

“The nature and depth of the swamp could have caused the aircraft to become deeply submerged in the mud,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa said the aircraft might have gone completely into the mud because of the depth of the swamp.

“From construction experience and analysis of this area, for you to get to refusal level, it will get to about 30 kilometres deep,” he said.

The governor also disclosed that jet fuel was flowing into the water, resulting in pollution of the area with aviation fuel.

He expressed relief that the aircraft did not crash in the middle of the community, saying such an occurrence could have resulted in a major catastrophe.

According to him, residents who witnessed the incident said the aircraft appeared to be coming down with a sound suggesting an engine problem and was almost landing within the community.

He said the pilot managed to manoeuvre the aircraft away from the community before it landed about 200 metres away and went into the swamp.

“Only the pilot could explain the effort made to manoeuvre the aircraft away from the community,” he said.

The governor commiserated with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, over the loss of the officers.

He also sympathised with the families of the deceased and the Nigerian Air Force, describing the victims as young Nigerians who had signed up to defend the territorial integrity of the country.

Aiyedatiwa noted that President Tinubu had declared three days of mourning and ordered that the national flag be flown at half-mast in honour of the officers who died in active service.

He urged Nigerians to continue praying for the families of the deceased.

The governor, who described himself as a man of faith, said there was still a possibility of a miracle, citing the biblical accounts of Lazarus, who was raised after four days, and Jonah, who was swallowed by a fish.

He, however, said that based on what had been seen at the crash site, he doubted whether any of the victims could still be found alive.

“May their souls rest in peace,” he prayed.

Meanwhile, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, Captain Andy Alemongwa, briefed the governor on the progress of the search and recovery operation.

Aiyedatiwa visited the site alongside personnel of the Nigerian Navy and Air Force, divers, the Director of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in the Southwest, the Director of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and local residents who had participated in rescue efforts since Monday.

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