The aircraft conveying the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu back to Oyo State after the three-day retreat organised for ministers, permanent secretaries, presidential aides, and other high-ranking government officials at the presidential villa in Abuja crash landed near Ibadan Airport on Friday.
Saturday Telegraph reports that the incident is coming 48 hours after the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMET) issued a travel warning based on hazy weather.
As of the time of filling this report, it was gathered that there were no casualties but it was not ascertained if the minister or those on board sustained any injury in the incident.
The flight, a private HS25B aircraft with the registration number: 5N-AMM departed Abuja at 6:41 p.m., and was carrying several high-ranking government officials of President Bola Tinubu’s administration before it crashed at the runway.
It was further gathered 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.
The chartered aircraft Flint had initial contact with the control tower at 18:56 seeking for extension, which was granted by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), according to a source.
The source told our correspondent that the aircraft landed short of the threshold by about 50 metres and skidded into a bushy ditch close to the runway.
Dr James Odaudu, Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), said the investigation was ongoing.
“On the accident involving an aircraft operated by Flint Aero at the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport Ibadan, please be informed that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced an investigation into the cause.
Our investigators are on site, and further information will be provided as soon as possible,” he said in a terse statement.
A spokesperson of NSIB, Mr Tunji Oketunmbi, had earlier told Daily Trust that the Bureau’s investigators were on ground in Ibadan to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the incident.
