•25 passengers, seven crew on board
MINISTER of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, confirmed that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) aircraft that went down in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday.
The aircraft, an ATR-42, with registration number NGR 931, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it disappeared from radar and subsequently crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
Keyamo disclosed that air traffic controllers were alerted to the disappearance of the aircraft at about 9:13 a.m.
He said the wreckage had been located and that search and rescue operations were ongoing, with preliminary information indicating that 32 people – 25 passengers and seven crew members – were on board.
Tinubu declares three-day mourning
President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, declared a three-day national mourning following the crash of the Air Force aircraft.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), announced this last night, in a statement, in which the president also directed that flags should be flown at half-mast throughout the country as a mark of respect to the departed officers.
President Tinubu had earlier expressed profound sadness over the incident.
He said: “This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria,” the president said.
“Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” President Tinubu declared in a condolence message to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and all officers, airmen, and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force.
“The Chief of Air Staff has briefed me, and I have directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences.
“I commend the Nigerian Air Force for activating an immediate search and rescue operation following the accident.”
According to the statement, the Air Force will release the officers’ names after contacting their families.
Eyewitnesses recount horror
Following the accident, eyewitnesses have recounted horror over the aircraft crash, fearing that there are no survivors.
An eyewitness in Igbokoda, Oluboyo Olusola, who visited the scene of the crash, stated that he saw parts of the aircraft, human remains and personal effects scattered around the swampy area, with some bodies inside the water.
Olusola explained that the incident occurred around 10 am, adding that difficult terrain made access to the crash site challenging.
He said it took the intervention of naval personnel in the area to eventually assist in reaching the area.
The eyewitness said though he did not witness the crash, the deafening sound alerted residents of the community to the accident.
“We heard a loud noise like thunder and rushed to the scene, only to discover that it was an aircraft crash. Initially, we thought it was a helicopter, but later got to know it was an aircraft,” he stated.
“It was difficult to access the terrain, but with the assistance of some naval officers, we were able to get there and saw the remains of the aircraft, as well as human remains, clothes, shoes and other personal effects.
“Some of the bodies were also inside the water. From what I saw, it appeared that there was no survivor.”
Also speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said he was in court when the incident occurred and immediately directed some of his palace aides to visit the crash site.
The traditional ruler explained that he initially feared that the aircraft might have been a commercial passenger plane because of the potentially high number of casualties.
He said: “I was in court when the incident happened, and I directed some of my palace officials to visit the site. At that time, nobody could determine whether it was an aircraft or a helicopter.
“I was worried because it must not be a plane, because the number of casualties would be just too high.
“Our first thanks to the Almighty God is that it did not happen inside the town; otherwise, the casualties would have been too many but we sympathised with the families of the victims.
“The aircraft crashed into the river and a swampy area. It was raining when the incident happened, and the place was waterlogged.
“The aircraft did not catch fire, but a substantial part of it has gone into the water.
“We cannot describe the exact situation for now, but from my investigation and what we have gathered so far, there was no survivor.”
Another eyewitness, a man, narrated to Ondo Connect, an online newspaper, that there was nothing to rescue as of time the rescue team arrived at the crash site, adding that human flesh, personal belongings of passengers littered ground.
The local vigilante and other categories of people, according to the eyewitness, left the site in sorrow.
“We all left what we were doing, but unfortunately, when we eventually located the spot, it was a gory tale.
“We saw the debris of the plane; the human flesh; shoes of passengers; intestines that forcefully came out from the stomach of passengers.
“It was a gory scene to behold. There was nothing to rescue again. We all left the place with our eyes filled with tears.”
Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Honourable Maurice Oripelaye, who earlier confirmed the incident, said military equipment was recovered from the crash site.
Oripelaye, however, declared that it was too early to establish the number of casualties, adding that the aircraft had been badly damaged.
The police in the state also confirmed the crash and urged residents to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information.
In a statement, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abayomi Jimoh, said details of the incident were still emerging as authorities worked to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
The command assured members of the public that credible information would be released as soon as it became available.
No survivor sighted at site —Aiyedatiwa
Meanwhile, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said no survivor had been sighted at the scene of the accident.
The governor added that there was no fire at the crash site, stressing that the Nigerian Navy quickly arrived at the scene and began rescue efforts.
Aiyedatiwa spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, on Monday night.
He said the swampy nature of the area made the rescue operation difficult, as boats were needed to reach the crash site.
“There was no fire. The Nigerian Navy was prompt to the scene to carry out rescue operations and also to move the locals to safety,” Aiyedatiwa said.
Explaining the nature of the area where the aircraft crashed, he noted that it was not deep water but a swamp with mud and water.
“It is not a case of deep water that you need to swim and go down into. It is not that deep. It is a swampy area. You see the mud, you see water, so it is not really an area that is so deep,” he said.
According to the governor, the Navy deployed different boats, including smaller boats that could move through the creeks and reach difficult areas.
“They have their boats; they have their gunboats and the smaller boats that can really move into the creek. So, they deployed all of that,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa added that the local government played an important role in the immediate response because of its closeness to the crash site.
“The local government chairman also has to deploy some people. That is the local government emergency management agency, just as we have at the state level,” he said.
“The site is not in Akure, and if you think about two and a half hours from Akure to Igbokoda, the immediate response has to come from the local government.”
On the occupants of the aircraft, the governor noted that no one had been sighted at the time of the interview.
“So far, we have not been able to see anybody,” he said.
He disclosed that identity cards and military uniforms found at the scene were among the things that indicated that the aircraft was a military aircraft.
“Identity cards and military uniforms were seen, which suggested at first that it was a military aircraft,” Aiyedatiwa said.
The governor said medical facilities had been put on standby in case survivors were found and needed urgent treatment.
He said any injured survivor would first be moved by boat from the swamp to an accessible area before being taken by ambulance to a hospital.
“We have the general hospital in Igbokoda that can serve that purpose. We don’t know the kind of injury that may have been sustained, but at least first aid would have been rendered if they were able to see any survivor that sustained injury at that point in time,” he said.
He added that the nature of the area made boats necessary for moving any survivor to safety.
The governor, however, said the search and rescue operation was still ongoing, with security and emergency agencies working to reach different parts of the swamp.
Earlier, Governor Aiyedatiwa directed the State Emergency Management Agency, Ministry of Health and relevant security agencies to immediately mobilise logistical and human support for the NAF and other emergency response agencies involved in the operation.
He also ordered that the crash site be cordoned off and secured to ensure unhindered rescue operations.
The governor expressed sympathy to the Chief of Air Staff, the Nigerian Air Force family and the families of the passengers and personnel on board.
We are ready to support NAF —NSIB
Also, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has expressed condolences to the Nigerian Air Force, the families and colleagues of those on board, while offering technical assistance if requested.
The NSIB Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., said the bureau had received reports of the accident and commended the swift activation of search and rescue operations and the efforts of first responders at the crash site.
Badeh explained that because the incident involved a military aircraft, investigation of the accident rests with the military authority in line with the NSIB Establishment Act, 2022, and established international practice.
He, however, said the NSIB was ready to assist the Nigerian Air Force if formally invited.
Such assistance, he added, could include the deployment of investigators and the use of the Bureau’s Flight Safety Laboratory for flight-data and cockpit-voice recorder recovery and readout, as well as other related technical support.
The NSIB urged members of the public to rely exclusively on official information from the Nigerian Air Force regarding the search and rescue operation and any subsequent investigation.
Further information from the bureau, Badeh said, would be issued only as appropriate and in consultation with the Nigerian Air Force.
