Spokesperson for Osun State Governor, Olawale Rasheed, has officially verified that Governor Ademola Adeleke and several of his aides narrowly avoided an aircraft disaster. Rasheed raised concerns about possible tampering with the aircraft’s engine. According to a national daily report, on September 5, an aircraft carrying Adeleke and his aides came close to a crash during takeoff from Lagos en route to Abuja. Rasheed confirmed this incident on Sunday, stating that initial findings from an internal investigation suggest the potential of sabotage. He emphasized that the aircraft was meticulously maintained with a top-notch technical crew and was not an unused platform vulnerable to bird nests.
The statement further read, “Contrary to the claim by the hanger owner that birds’ nests caused the incident, birds’ nests are made with straws not bidding wires as in this case.
“The near-fatal incident was averted shortly after boarding and less than two minutes after commencement of taxing on the tarmac.
“An early warning noise from the engines immediately prompted the pilots to direct evacuation of the passengers. Everything happened within five minutes.
“Early reports from the internal investigation indicated sabotage. But the authorities, locally and internationally, are still investigating the incident.”
He, however, assured the public that Adeleke and his aides were safe as there was no injury or any outward explosion on the plane.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau have initiated a thorough investigation into this incident.
The Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, disclosed this in a press statement on Sunday.
The incident took place at the Lagos airport earlier today, as the aircraft was scheduled to transport Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and his team to Abuja.
The statement partly read, “A full-blown investigation of the incident has since commenced.
“While expressing relief that the incident ended without any harm, the Honourable Minister, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, assured that the outcome of the NCAA’s investigation and recommendations will be implemented in line with Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations and global best practices.”
