The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has acknowledged concerns expressed by residents of Igbokoda in Ondo state over the potential environmental impact of last Monday’s plane crash in the community’s swamps.
The response follows an outcry by Afolabi Odidiomo, the
traditional ruler of Igbokoda, who said the community is facing a health crisis
in the aftermath of the crash.
In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the monarch
said the decaying bodies of crash victims were polluting the swamp, a tributary
linked to the community’s potable water reserves.
“The concern of everybody in this community today is that
our government spent time, energy, money, and effort looking for people that
had been chopped into pieces by the crash. The pieces that are floating
everywhere in our rivers. The pieces that have decayed left so much stench that
is unbelievable,” the monarch said.
“Going close to the river is so scary now for children who
usually go to swim when they return from school, because they see human flesh
everywhere as they swim. Fish are also dying everywhere.”
In a statement on Thursday, Ehimen Ejodame, NAF director of
public relations and information, said the air force is not taking the concerns
lightly.
“The NAF recognises the discomfort, anxiety and uncertainty
such circumstances may cause and assures the affected community that their
concerns are being taken seriously,” the statement reads.
The NAF 931 aircraft, which was carrying 25 passengers,
plunged into the Igbokoda swamps on October 5, 2026.
Ejodame said the aircraft was on a routine mission from
Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.
He added that search-and-rescue procedures were immediately
activated, with response efforts coordinated with relevant authorities to
locate and account for everyone on board.
Kelvin Aneke, chief of air staff, has since directed a
comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the
crash.
The Ondo state government subsequently deployed two
specialised swamp buggies to aid the recovery of the aircraft wreckage.
As of Wednesday, no survivors had been found, according to
Ejodame.
He said search-and-recovery operations were ongoing, adding
that the NAF was working with relevant partner agencies to ensure the safe and
orderly recovery of the wreckage.
Ejodame said the NAF would engage the appropriate
environmental and public health authorities, alongside other relevant agencies,
after the recovery operation to assess the situation and coordinate appropriate
action on any identified environmental concerns.
“The NAF remains concerned about the wellbeing of the
affected community and is committed to constructive engagement with relevant
stakeholders to ensure that appropriate measures are taken in the interest of
public health, safety and environmental wellbeing,” he added.
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