The federal government has launched investigation into claim by Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, that the near crash of an aircraft he was on board was an attempt on his life.
An aircraft carrying Adeleke alongside some of his aides nearly crashed on September 5, while attempting to take off from Lagos for a journey to Abuja.
Consequently, the governor claimed he escaped assassination saying in a statement his media aide, Olawale Rasheed, “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.”
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 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.”
