The Ondo State Government has ordered the fumigation of the river around the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash site in Igbokoda to prevent a possible disease outbreak following residents’ complaints about a foul odour and fears of environmental pollution.
The government also directed the distribution of nose masks and other essential health kits to residents of Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area to protect them from potential health hazards.
The directives come amid growing concerns over the pace of recovery operations at the crash site, with residents alleging that decomposing human remains and body parts are still in the river, causing an offensive smell across the community.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, disclosed this at a press briefing in Akure on Wednesday, saying Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had directed the Ministries of Environment and Health to begin extensive fumigation of the river.
According to him, the intervention is aimed at safeguarding public health, particularly as the river serves as a major source of livelihood for residents of Igbokoda and neighbouring communities.
Ajanaku said the governor had also directed the Ilaje Local Government Council to arrange water tankers to supply potable water continuously if assessments established that the river was severely polluted and unsafe for use.
Some residents had also complained about the slow pace of recovery operations, calling for urgent efforts to retrieve the remaining human remains and address the offensive odour they said had persisted in the community since the crash.
Speaking in a telephone interview, a community leader in Igbokoda, Abayomi Festus, said some rescue workers were still at the site, but their numbers had reduced significantly, slowing down the recovery operation.
“Yes, we still have some of the rescue team around, but they are now few, not up to the numbers we had before. The few working are also slow, which is why they have not been able to recover the major items,” he said.
Festus added that he understood that the search team was still looking for the aircraft’s black box, which could provide vital information about the cause of the crash.
On the availability of the swamp buggies being used for the recovery operation, he said only one was still working at the site, while the other had broken down.
“Just one swamp buggy is working, and it is stagnant. The other one is here in the community; it stopped working a long time ago since it was brought in,” he said.
Another resident, Ibiromi Timidayo, also lamented the reduced presence of rescue personnel at the crash site, contrasting the current situation with the initial days of the operation, when the area was crowded with Air Force personnel and other rescue workers.
“I don’t think they are aware of the smell in the community. If they are aware, they would have brought numerous resources together to bring all the bodies out,” she said.
“Our breath is now filled with human smells. The rescue team are just a few here. Let the government mobilise more personnel here so that we can get over this and have a peaceful breath,” Timidayo added.
More components recovered from crash site
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force has disclosed that additional components of its ATR 42-500 aircraft have been recovered as multi-agency teams continue search and recovery operations at the crash site.
The Air Force, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday, said specialist divers from the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau were continuing underwater search and recovery operations in collaboration with its recovery team.
“Additional aircraft components have been recovered as efforts continue to locate and retrieve relevant materials for documentation and preservation in support of the ongoing investigation,” the Air Force said.
The aircraft crashed into a swamp near the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda on Monday, October 5, while on a mission from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos.
All 25 people on board, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members, died in the crash.
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