Oluboyo Olusola, a resident of Igbokoda,
who was one of the first persons to reach the scene of the ill-fated Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft, which went down in Ilaje LGA of Ondo state, on Monday, has recounted seeing human remains, aircraft parts and personal effects scattered across the area.
Olusola, stated that some bodies were also discovered inside the water, noting that the difficult terrain at first hindered first responders from getting to the site of crash, until naval personnel aided them in gaining passage to the area.
Olusola noted that the tragic incident happened at about 10 am and that he did not witness the aircraft go down but was alerted by a deafening sound that sent residents rushing towards the scene.
He said the condition of the crash scene and what was recovered there suggest that there might be no survivors.
“We heard a loud noise like thunder and rushed to the scene, only to discover that it was an aircraft crash. Initially, we thought it was a helicopter but later understood it was an aircraft,” he said.
“It was difficult to access the terrain, but with the assistance of some naval officers, we were able to get there and saw the remains of the aircraft, as well as human remains, clothes, shoes and other personal effects.
“Some of the bodies were also inside the water. From what I saw, it appeared that there was no survivor.”
Also speaking about the incident, the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, stated that he was in court when the crash happened and swiftly directed some palace aides to go to the scene to know what had happened.
Oba Odidiomo stated that he was at first afraid the aircraft could have been a commercial passenger plane, which could have resulted in a greater number of casualties.
The monarch stated that the aircraft did not crash within the town, pointing out that such an incident could have turned out to be a major tragedy.
“The aircraft crashed into the river and a swampy area. It was raining when the incident happened, and the place was waterlogged,” Odidiomo said.
“The aircraft did not catch fire, but a substantial part of it has gone into the water.”
“We cannot describe the exact situation for now, but from my investigation and what we have gathered so far, there was no survivor.
“Authorities are still working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash”.
The NAF aircraft ATR-42 with tail number NGR 931 was on a normal mission from Benin City to Lagos when it went down with a bang, in a swampy area near the naval base in Igbokoda.
Minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, stated that
25 passengers and seven crew members were boarded the ill-fated short flight
NAF director of public relations and information, Ehimen Ejodame, said the force had begun search and rescue operations in conjunction with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
Chairman of Ilaje LGA, Maurice Oripelaye
stated that military equipment was recovered from the site but warned against premature conclusions on the casualty figure, pointing out that it was too early to determine the number of people who may have lost their lives.
