Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Wednesday visited the scene of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash at Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, as search and recovery operations continued.
The governor described the incident as a national tragedy, saying no survivor had been found at the scene as of the time of his visit.
The aircraft, which was reportedly carrying Nigerian Air Force personnel on a special mission from Benin to Lagos, crashed at Igbokoda on Monday.
Aiyedatiwa said about 25 people were believed to have been on board the aircraft, adding that the exact cause of the crash could only be determined through investigation.
He said the crash site presented a “very gory sight”, with parts of human bodies, clothes and jackets belonging to Air Force personnel, as well as fragments of the aircraft, recovered and preserved for investigation.
The governor said the main wreckage had yet to be located, as it was believed to have become submerged deep inside the swamp.
He visited the site alongside Nigerian Navy and Air Force personnel, divers, officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency and local residents who had participated in rescue efforts since the incident occurred.
According to him, difficult access to the crash site prompted him to direct the state Ministry of Works to deploy two amphibious machines, popularly known as swamp boogies, to improve access through the waterways.
He said the machines had enabled rescue teams to move larger boats closer to the site and were also being used to excavate portions of the swamp in search of the main wreckage and other aircraft parts.
Aiyedatiwa added that Navy personnel and local divers were searching deeper sections of the swamp for possible bodies and the aircraft’s cockpit.
He attributed the difficulty in recovering the wreckage to the nature and depth of the swamp, which he said could have caused the aircraft to sink deeply into the mud.
The governor also disclosed that jet fuel was leaking into the water, causing aviation fuel pollution around the crash site.
He expressed relief that the aircraft did not crash directly within the community, saying such an occurrence could have resulted in a far greater catastrophe.
According to him, eyewitnesses told officials that the aircraft appeared to be descending with a sound suggesting an engine problem and was initially 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 plunged into the swamp.
Aiyedatiwa said only the pilot would have been able to explain the manoeuvre that took the aircraft away from the community.
The governor commiserated with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, over the loss of the military personnel.
He also sympathised with the families of the deceased and the Nigerian Air Force, describing the victims as young and capable Nigerians who had dedicated themselves to defending the country’s territorial integrity.
He urged Nigerians to continue praying for the bereaved families, saying the loss was unexpected and painful.
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.
The briefing came as Navy personnel and local divers continued efforts to locate the missing bodies and the main wreckage.
The governor was accompanied by his deputy, 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, Wellington Oriade Adebawo.
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