NAF Crash: Aiyedatiwa orders sustained search for missing victims, aircraft

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has directed security and emergency agencies involved in the recovery operation at the site of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda to sustain the search until the aircraft’s main wreckage and all recoverable remains are located.

Aiyedatiwa gave the directive on Wednesday when he visited the crash site in Ilaje Local Government Area and received updates on the ongoing operation involving the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), local divers and other responders.

The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed that all 25 people aboard the ATR-42 aircraft, identified as NAF 931, died when it crashed in Igbokoda on Monday during a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos.

However, the main body of the aircraft and some remains had yet to be recovered as of Wednesday, with the difficult swamp terrain hampering the operation.

Aiyedatiwa said the aircraft was believed to have sunk deep into the swamp, making access to the crash location difficult.

He disclosed that the state government had deployed two amphibious machines, popularly known as swamp buggies, to create wider access to the site and facilitate the movement of boats, rescue equipment and personnel.

The machines are also being used to excavate portions of the swamp in the search for the submerged aircraft.

The governor said Nigerian Navy divers and local divers were continuing underwater searches, particularly in deeper sections of the swamp where the aircraft was believed to have gone down.

He said the soft terrain and deep mud had made it difficult for rescuers and heavy equipment to operate effectively at the site.

Navy deploys sonar for underwater search

In a related development, the Nigerian Navy has deployed specialised side-scan sonar equipment to help locate the submerged aircraft.

The Navy Hydrographic Department commenced an underwater survey after the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, directed the deployment of the equipment to the crash site.

The sonar is expected to provide underwater images of the swamp and help technical teams determine the precise location of the aircraft, allowing divers and recovery personnel to concentrate their efforts on specific areas.

The operation has also been reinforced with Navy divers and Nigerian Air Force drone operators conducting searches across the surrounding mangrove and forested areas.

The Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, and the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdul Suleh, visited the crash site to assess the recovery operation.

Mustapha, who travelled by boat from the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda to the crash location, also inspected the swamp buggy launching point and interacted with personnel involved in the operation.

He urged the teams to intensify their efforts to recover the aircraft and the remains of those killed in the crash.

The FOC also commended the Ondo State Government, host communities and other stakeholders for supporting the recovery operation.

Private companies, including Hi-Tech and AUC Construction, have also provided mechanised equipment to assist with the difficult terrain.

Governor says pilot may have averted bigger tragedy

Aiyedatiwa also said the pilot of the ill-fated aircraft may have prevented a larger disaster by manoeuvring the plane away from the populated area before it crashed.

According to the governor, residents who witnessed the incident told him that the aircraft appeared to be heading towards the community before changing direction and eventually crashing about 200 metres away.

“From what the people told us, the aircraft was almost coming into the community, but the pilot managed to manoeuvre it away before it crashed about 200 metres from the community and went straight into the swampy area,” Aiyedatiwa said.

He expressed relief that the aircraft did not crash into the populated area, saying the consequences could have been more devastating.

The governor described the incident as a national tragedy and commiserated with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian Air Force and the families of the victims.

He said the victims were young Nigerians who had dedicated themselves to defending the country.

Body parts, aircraft fragments recovered

Aiyedatiwa disclosed that parts of human bodies, clothing and jackets believed to belong to Air Force personnel, as well as fragments of the aircraft, had been recovered from the crash site.

He said the recovered items had been preserved for further investigation while the search for the main wreckage and remaining recoverable remains continued.

The governor also said aviation fuel was entering the surrounding water, creating an additional environmental concern at the crash site.

He explained that the combination of the submerged aircraft, deep mud and difficult terrain had made specialised equipment essential to the recovery operation.

The search effort currently involves the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, NEMA, SEMA, Ilaje Local Government, Nigerian Red Cross Society, National Inland Waterways Authority, security agencies, local divers and other technical personnel.

Aiyedatiwa assured that the state government would continue to provide logistical support to the federal agencies and other responders until the recovery operation is concluded.

Earlier, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, Captain Andy Alemongwa, briefed the governor on the progress of the search, confirming that Navy personnel and local divers were continuing operations in the swamp.

The governor urged all agencies involved to sustain the search, stressing that the recovery operation should not be abandoned until the outstanding objectives are achieved.

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