Residents of Igbokoda in Ondo State have raised concerns over offensive odour, suspected water contamination and fears of a possible disease outbreak more than a week after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crashed into a swamp in the community.
The residents have appealed to the Federal Government, the Ondo State Government and the Nigerian Air Force to urgently recover the remaining human remains, clean up the affected environment and provide safe drinking water for the community.
The NAF ATR-42 aircraft, which was travelling from Benin City to Lagos, crashed into a swamp near the Air Force Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda on October 5.
The incident reportedly involved 25 people, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers.
The aircraft submerged into the swamp, prompting a joint search and recovery operation involving the Air Force, other security agencies and emergency responders. However, residents say the operation remains incomplete more than a week after the incident.
Community leaders and residents told Vanguard that the decomposing human remains and suspected aviation fuel spillage had raised concerns about environmental pollution and public health risks.
The Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said the stench from the crash site had spread to residential areas, making life difficult for residents.
He also claimed that human body parts were still floating in the river, while traces of fuel could be seen some distance from the wreckage.
“The odour is extremely offensive and unbearable. So many parts of human bodies are floating around in the river. Some of the bodies have not been recovered, they have decomposed and it is affecting everything,” the monarch said.
According to him, the situation has heightened concerns about possible contamination of the river, which residents use for domestic purposes.
“People are worried about cooking, bathing and other domestic uses. We are appealing to government to urgently remove the remaining bodies and debris, contain any fuel spillage and carry out full environmental remediation,” Oba Odidiomo said.
The monarch also called for the immediate provision of potable water while recovery and environmental clean-up operations continue, stressing that the welfare of the affected community must be prioritised.
A resident, Omogbemi Damola, said the offensive odour had persisted for days, with the smell entering homes through the breeze.
“What happened in Igbokoda is a very sad experience. Since the accident occurred, different kinds of unpleasant odours have been carried by the breeze into our homes,” she said.
“I live upstairs and I have been perceiving the smell for at least four days now.”
READ ALSO: Ilaje LG Chair Raises Alarm Over Abduction Of APC Chieftain In Ondo
Damola urged the state government to accelerate recovery efforts and introduce measures to control the odour, noting that residents were already dealing with the trauma of the crash.
Another resident, Oroyo Levy, described the situation as a potential public health concern, urging authorities to act swiftly to minimise environmental risks.
“We are appealing to government to act swiftly to contain the odour and prevent it from posing further health risks,” Levy said.
“The smell suggests air pollution and we are worried about its effect, especially on children.”
He also called for an investigation into the environmental consequences of the crash, warning that uncertainty over the safety of the river had heightened anxiety among residents who depend on it.
Residents urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Ondo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and relevant environmental authorities to intervene to prevent the aftermath of the crash from creating additional public health challenges, including possible waterborne disease outbreaks.
Reacting to the concerns, the Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Tob Loko, said the state government was collaborating with the Federal Government to maximise recovery efforts and assess the environmental impact of the incident.
“The state government is collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure that we carry out as much recovery as possible.
“But you know that despite the number of days the recovery effort has been ongoing, no meaningful recovery has been made. None of the corpses has been recovered,” he said.
Loko said concerns about pollution emerged shortly after the crash, prompting efforts to assess the extent of environmental contamination and determine the appropriate remediation measures.
“What we are trying to do is make a holistic assessment of the level of public health impact and determine how we can embark on decontamination efforts because the surrounding area is surely contaminated,” he said.
He added that the government was conducting assessments of the environmental and public health implications of the incident to ensure that appropriate measures were taken as quickly as possible.
However, the commissioner disputed claims that the crash had left residents without drinking water, saying boreholes were available in the community.
“That is not the water they drink. There are boreholes around. So, the claim that the water is no longer useful is not entirely correct,” he said.
Loko also argued that the crash site was at least 500 metres from the bulk of the town, disputing suggestions that its proximity had left the wider community without access to drinking water.
While acknowledging the possibility of pollution, he maintained that claims about a general lack of drinking water were not entirely accurate.
Despite the government’s assurances, residents continue to call for the completion of recovery operations, independent assessment of potential contamination and urgent measures to safeguard public health while the environmental impact of the crash is being established.