NAF crash: Ondo deploys medical teams as search for 32 occupants continues
By Boye Oyeyemi
The Ondo State Government has deployed medical personnel and emergency responders to Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in the community.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, joined security personnel and local divers at the crash site near the Nigerian Naval Base as search and rescue efforts continued for those aboard the aircraft.
Ajaka said the crash site was about 500 metres from the naval base, adding that Monday’s search operation lasted until about 11 p.m. before efforts were scheduled to resume Tuesday with additional equipment.
He said ambulances and medical personnel from health facilities in Ilaje and Okitipupa had been mobilised on the directive of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa to provide emergency medical support.
The commissioner added that specialised equipment, including swamp buggies, would be deployed to improve access to the difficult terrain, while nearby hospitals had been placed on standby to receive possible casualties.
Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Emergency Response and Safety Enforcement, Prince Wellington Oriade Adebawo, said the aircraft, identified as NAF 970, was reportedly carrying 32 people, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members, on a routine Benin-Lagos mission.
Adebawo said the aircraft was located underwater, making recovery efforts difficult, while the state government was collaborating with the National Emergency Management Agency, Nigerian Red Cross, Nigerian Navy and other agencies to intensify the operation.
The state government urged residents to disregard unverified reports and videos circulating on social media and rely on official information as the search continued, stressing that the number of casualties had not been officially confirmed.
