Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has suggested that a technical or mechanical problem may have caused the Nigerian Air Force aircraft to crash in Igbokoda, saying bad weather was unlikely to have been responsible.
Aiyedatiwa spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, shortly after the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed in a swampy area opposite the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The aircraft was travelling from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos on what the Air Force described as a routine mission when it lost radio contact before crashing.
According to Aiyedatiwa, the aircraft may have developed a fault while airborne, resulting in the loss of communication with the control tower.
He said the possibility of a mechanical problem could not be ruled out, particularly because the journey between Benin and Lagos was relatively short.
“It is not a case of wanting to land like I said. So, some kind of technical problem might have happened to the aircraft that would make it lose signal,” the governor said.
Aiyedatiwa argued that if weather conditions had been seriously unfavourable before take-off, the aircraft would likely not have been allowed to begin the journey.
“From what we heard, from Benin to Lagos is not a long distance so if the weather was bad, it would not have taken off in the first place,” he said.
He stressed, however, that his comments were based on information available at the time and that the actual cause of the crash would have to be established through an investigation.
The governor also provided an update on the search operation, saying there were still no confirmed survivors based on the information reaching him.
“So painful,” Aiyedatiwa said when asked about the incident. “No survivor yet, from the information I have gotten.”
The aircraft, identified by its tail number as NGR 931, disappeared from radio contact on Monday morning while travelling from Benin to Lagos.
Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo had earlier said air traffic controllers made several attempts to establish communication with the aircraft but were unsuccessful.
Keyamo later confirmed that the aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda and that the wreckage had been located.
He said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft, bringing the number of people on board to 32.
Search and rescue operations were subsequently activated following the discovery of the wreckage.
The Nigerian Air Force also confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 and said it was carrying out a routine mission between Benin and Lagos when the accident occurred.
The Air Force said its search and rescue operation was being conducted in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
While the governor raised the possibility of a technical fault, the precise cause of the crash had not been established and remained subject to investigation.
