Aiyedatiwa Orders Sustained Search For Victims, Aircraft

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has directed security agencies and other responders to sustain the search for victims and the wreckage of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft that crashed at Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.

Aiyedatiwa gave the directive on Wednesday during his visit to the crash site, describing the incident as a national tragedy.

The military aircraft, which had 25 people on board, crashed at about 11 am on Monday while reportedly travelling from Benin to Lagos.

The governor inspected the site alongside personnel of the Nigerian Navy and Air Force, divers, the South-West Director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and local residents participating in the recovery operation.

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

He explained that the swampy terrain had made the recovery operation difficult, prompting him to direct the state Ministry of Works to deploy two amphibious machines, popularly known as swamp boogies, to improve access to the area.

The governor said the main body of the aircraft had yet to be located.

According to him, the machines had enabled responders to move larger boats closer to the crash site and excavate portions of the swamp in search of the aircraft.

He added that Navy personnel and local divers were searching deeper sections of the area for possible bodies and the cockpit.

Aiyedatiwa said the depth and softness of the terrain could have caused the aircraft to sink deep into the mud.

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

The governor also disclosed that aviation fuel was leaking into the water, causing pollution around the crash site.

He expressed relief that the aircraft did not crash directly into the community, saying such an occurrence could have resulted in a much greater catastrophe.

According to Aiyedatiwa, residents said the aircraft appeared to have developed an engine problem before the crash.

He said, “Only the pilot would have been able to explain the efforts made to manoeuvre the aircraft. From accounts given by residents, they saw the aircraft descending with what sounded like an engine problem.

“It was coming down and almost appeared set to crash within the community. However, the pilot was able to manoeuvre the aircraft and bring it down about 200 metres away from the community before it went into the swampy area.”

He added that the soft terrain could explain why the aircraft had not yet been located.

“The terrain is so soft that it appears the aircraft may have sunk deep into the mud, which is why it has not been seen,” he said.

The governor further explained that construction experience in the area showed that reaching a firm layer during piling operations could require extensive excavation.

“From construction experience and analysis of the terrain, reaching refusal level during piling operations in this area can require going as deep as 35 to 40 kilometres,” he said.

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