Igbokoda plane crash: Senator Faduyile commiserates with victims’ families
By Steve Ovirih.
The Senator representing Ondo South, Distinguished Senator Dayo Faduyile, has commiserated with families of victims of the Nigerian Air Force plane crash in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Faduyile, in a condolence message on Tuesday, described the crash of the NAF ATR-42 aircraft as tragic, shocking and a monumental loss to the nation.
Newsmen report that the military aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, crashed in a swampy area opposite the Naval Base in Igbokoda on Monday morning while on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said preliminary information indicated that 32 persons were on board — 25 passengers and seven crew members.
The lawmaker said the incident has thrown the entire Ondo South Senatorial District into mourning, noting that Igbokoda, as headquarters of Ilaje Local Government, has never witnessed such a tragedy.
He said: “I received with rude shock the news of the military plane crash in Igbokoda that claimed the lives of 32 gallant officers and civilians. This is a dark moment for Ondo South and for Nigeria as a whole. My heartfelt condolences go to the families who lost their loved ones.”
Senator Faduyile commiserated with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the Nigerian Air Force, and the people of Ilaje over the loss.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed and asked God to grant their families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
The Senator also called on the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the crash to prevent future occurrence.
He commended the swift response of military personnel, the Nigerian Navy at Igbokoda, local volunteers and emergency agencies who mobilised for search and rescue operations at the difficult swampy terrain.
Faduyile urged the Federal Government and Ondo State Government to provide necessary support to the bereaved families.
