By Opeyemi Adelakun
Ondo State Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa on Wednesday visited the scene of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash at Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area and ordered the continuation of search and recovery operations.
Aiyedatiwa described the incident as a national tragedy, saying no survivor had been found at the site as of the time of his visit.
The aircraft, which was carrying Nigerian Air Force personnel on a special mission from Benin to Lagos, crashed in Igbokoda on Monday.
During the visit, the governor said about 25 people were believed to have been on board, adding that the main wreckage had yet to be located as it was believed to be submerged in the swamp.
This was contained in a statement signed by Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, on Wednesday.
Aiyedatiwa, who visited the site with Nigerian Navy and Air Force personnel, divers, emergency management officials and local residents involved in the search, described the scene as a “very gory sight”.
He said parts of bodies, clothing and jackets belonging to Air Force personnel, as well as aircraft debris, had been recovered and preserved for further investigation.
The governor said difficult access to the crash site had hampered the operation, prompting him to direct the Ministry of Works to deploy two amphibious machines, popularly known as swamp boogies, to improve access through the waterways.
According to him, the equipment had enabled rescue teams to move larger boats closer to the site while excavation work continued in search of additional wreckage and the main body of the aircraft.
Aiyedatiwa said Navy personnel and local divers were also searching deeper sections of the swamp for possible bodies and the cockpit.
He attributed the difficulty to the nature and depth of the swamp, which he said could have caused the aircraft to become deeply submerged in the mud.
The governor further disclosed that jet fuel was flowing into the water, causing aviation fuel pollution around the crashu site.
Aiyedatiwa said the aircraft could have caused greater damage had it crashed within the community.
According to the governor, residents who witnessed the incident reported that the aircraft appeared to be descending with a sound they associated with an engine problem and was heading towards the community.
He said the pilot appeared to have manoeuvred the aircraft away from the populated area before it crashed about 200 metres away and went into the swamp.
Aiyedatiwa said only the pilot could have explained the manoeuvre and the circumstances surrounding the aircraft’s final moments.
The governor commiserated with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the families of the deceased and the Nigerian Air Force over the loss.
He described the victims as young Nigerians who had committed themselves to defending the country and protecting its territorial integrity.
He urged Nigerians to continue praying for the bereaved families, saying the loss was unexpected.
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.
Navy personnel and local divers continued efforts to locate the missing bodies and the main wreckage as the operation entered another phase.
Aiyedatiwa was accompanied by Deputy Governor Dr Olayide Adelami, Secretary to the State Government Dr Taiwo Fasoranti, members of the State Executive Council and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Emergency Management, Mr Wellington Oriade Adebawo.
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