By Paul Joseph
The Ondo State Government has deployed swamp buggies to aid the recovery of victims and wreckage from the Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka, disclosed this on Tuesday at the crash site, explaining that the aircraft had sunk deep into the swamp, making access difficult for conventional vehicles and boats.
Ajaka said the aircraft came down about 500 metres east of the Nigerian Naval Base in Igbokoda after the pilots reportedly diverted it away from the community.
According to him, the pilots’ action may have prevented a more devastating impact on the Igbokoda community.
The commissioner said the search and recovery operation had been ongoing since Monday, involving the state government, security agencies, local authorities, emergency responders and other relevant personnel.
He explained that the swamp buggies were deployed because the difficult terrain made it impossible for ordinary rescue vehicles and speedboats to reach the location where the aircraft had sunk.
“The swamp buggies, you can see two of them here now,” Ajaka said, adding that the specialised equipment would be used to navigate the swamp and reach the depth where the aircraft wreckage was located.
He said divers had already commenced operations at the site and were recovering parts of the aircraft, but no major body had been brought out at the time of his briefing.
Ajaka explained that rescuers would need to excavate deeper into the swamp to reach the main wreckage and recover the victims.
He described the incident as a tragic development and commiserated with the Nigerian Air Force, the Armed Forces, the victims’ families and the people of Ondo State.
The commissioner also disclosed that the Commissioner for Environment, senior military officers and other officials were at the scene coordinating the recovery operation with the naval and air force authorities.
The aircraft, which had 25 passengers and seven crew members on board, crashed into the swampy area of Igbokoda on Monday, October 5, 2026, while on a routine mission from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos.
Contact with air traffic controllers was reportedly lost at about 9:13am before the crash.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed condolences to the families of the victims and directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.
The Ondo State Government said the recovery operation would continue until the victims and wreckage are fully recovered.
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