By Ado Oyeyemi
Search-and-rescue operations for the occupants of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, continued on Tuesday.
The Ondo State Government has deployed medical personnel, ambulances and emergency response teams to the area as efforts intensify to locate and recover those on board the aircraft.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Ajaka, said he personally participated in the rescue operation, adding that the crash site was about 500 metres east of the Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda.
Ajaka disclosed this in a WhatsApp message sent at about 2:20am on Tuesday, saying he spent several hours at the scene with the Commanding Officer of FOB Igbokoda, military personnel and local divers involved in the search.
He said the operation continued until about 11pm on Monday and was expected to resume early Tuesday with additional equipment, including swamp buggies and other specialised rescue gear.
According to the commissioner, the response team comprises military personnel, local divers, medical workers and other emergency responders, while hospitals in Ilaje and Okitipupa local government areas had been placed on alert on the directive of the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Ajaka urged members of the public to rely only on information released by the authorities and desist from circulating unverified videos and reports about the incident.
He said, “This is a national disaster that we shouldn’t play politics with,” urging residents to “tarry and wait for verified information.”
The commissioner also commended medical personnel from the State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa; General Hospital, Igbokoda; Comprehensive Health Centre, Igbokoda, and other health facilities for their involvement in the emergency response.
Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Emergency Response and Safety Enforcement, Prince Wellington Oriade Adebawo, visited the crash site on Monday alongside officials of the Ondo State Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
The delegation also included the governor’s aide, Cornelius Owolewa, and the Special Adviser on Strategic Communications, Allen Sowore.
The aircraft, identified as NAF 970, an ATR-42 operated by the Nigerian Air Force, was reportedly carrying 32 people, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members, when it crashed in the Igbokoda axis while on a routine flight from Benin to Lagos.
On arrival at the scene, the state delegation worked with Nigerian Navy personnel to assess the situation and commence search operations.
The aircraft was reportedly found submerged in water, making access to the wreckage and occupants difficult.
Adebawo said the state government had intensified coordination with federal agencies and other stakeholders to locate the aircraft and recover its occupants.
He said the search operation continued throughout Monday and that further rescue efforts were scheduled to resume on Tuesday, October 6, with relevant agencies expected to deploy more personnel and equipment.
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The state government urged residents to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information as the search-and-rescue operation continues.
