The Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, has reassured the public about his well-being and the safety of other passengers after a private aircraft carrying him and several aides crash-landed near the Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan, Oyo State on Friday evening.
According to a source close to the minister, Mr. Adelabu remains in good spirits and is not perturbed by the incident, considering it a minor occurrence.
An anonymous aide of the minister stated, “The Minister feels the incident is not something to worry about. It was actually a minor thing, and that is how he has taken it.”
Furthermore, the minister was not alarmed by the incident because none of the passengers suffered any injuries. Everyone on board the aircraft safely disembarked without incident.
Details of the Incident:
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, along with 12 other passengers and flight crew, narrowly avoided a tragic fate when their HS 125 aircraft, bearing nationality and registration Marks 5N-AMM, operated by Flint Aero, crash-landed at Ibadan, Oyo State airport. The incident took place at approximately 8:21 p.m. on Friday.
The aircraft had departed from Abuja at 6:41 p.m. and was en route to Ibadan, carrying the minister’s officials. Thankfully, there were no fatalities, although the aircraft did sustain significant damage.
It was reported that the pilot had been cleared for an RNAV approach to Runway 22 of Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan, but the plane skidded off the runway. Swift and efficient actions allowed all passengers and crew members to be safely evacuated.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has initiated an inquest into the accident.
In a statement issued by James Odaudu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at NSIB, it was confirmed that the agency has been notified and has already commenced an investigation.
The aircraft, with 10 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, was en route to Ibadan from Abuja when the incident occurred. Authorities are now diligently working to determine the cause of the crash and ensure the safety of air travel in the region.
The statement read, “The aircraft, on final approach to landing Runway 22, Ibadan Airport crashed short of the runway.
“There was no fatality, as all passengers and crew were safely evacuated.
“As the investigating agency, NSIB needs and hereby solicits for your assistance. We want the public to know that we would be amenable to receiving any video clip, relevant evidence, or information any members of the public may have of the accident; that can assist us with this investigation.
“The Bureau will appreciate that the general public and press respect the privacy of the people involved and not assume the cause of the serious incident until formal report is released.
“The Bureau will release the preliminary report as soon as possible.”