The Ondo State Government has deployed swamp buggies to assist in the recovery of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area, on Monday.
The state Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka, disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking with journalists at the crash site.
Ajaka said the specialised vehicles were deployed because the aircraft had sunk deep into the swamp, making it difficult for conventional vehicles and boats to reach the wreckage.
He said the aircraft crashed about 500 metres east of the Nigerian Naval Base in Igbokoda, adding that the pilots appeared to have diverted the aircraft away from the community before it went down.
“The thing would have caused a terrible accident in the whole of the Igbokoda community. But for the bravery of the pilots, they diverted the thing away from the community. So that it landed in the forest close to the community.”
The commissioner said the search-and-rescue operation had continued since Monday, with the state government, security agencies and local authorities working together at the scene.
According to him, the state government deployed officials from the Ministry of Health, State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), environmental and safety agencies, as well as other relevant personnel.
Ajaka explained that the swamp buggies were necessary because of the difficult terrain surrounding the wreckage.
“The latest is that the swamp buggy has been deployed. It has been ordered to go there. Because that’s what’s needed now.”
He said two swamp buggies were already at the scene and were being used to navigate the difficult terrain and reach the depth where the aircraft had gone down.
The commissioner said the force of the crash caused the aircraft to sink deeply into the swamp.
“It has gone down. You know the force now. The weight and the force with which it went down.”
He said the state Commissioner for Environment and senior military officers were also at the site to coordinate the recovery operation with naval and Air Force commanders.
According to Ajaka, divers were already working in the area and had started recovering parts of the aircraft.
“The divers are doing their work. We are bringing wrecks out.”
He said the recovery of the bodies would require deeper excavation because the main body of the aircraft was buried beneath the swamp.
“For the body. The real body. This has to go down. Excavate deep down for the thing to be brought down.”
Ajaka said no major body had been recovered at the point he spoke to journalists, adding that the condition of the victims would be clearer once the recovery operation reached the aircraft.
The commissioner described the incident as a tragic development and commiserated with the Nigerian Air Force, the Armed Forces, the families of the victims and the people of Ondo State.
“It’s a sad situation. We commiserate with Nigerian Air Force. We commiserate with all Nigerians. We commiserate with the entire armed forces.”
He assured that the recovery operation would continue until the wreckage and victims were recovered.
The aircraft, an NAF ATR-42 with registration number NAF 931, crashed in the Igbokoda area on Monday while travelling from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos on a routine mission.
The Nigerian Air Force has since confirmed that all 25 people on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, died in the crash.
The aircraft lost contact with air traffic controllers at about 9:13am before crashing into the swampy area.
President Bola Tinubu has expressed condolences to the families of the victims and directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The recovery operation and investigation are ongoing.
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