By Boye Oyeyemi
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has pledged continued support for the ongoing search and recovery operation following the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
Aiyedatiwa made the commitment on Tuesday when the Director of Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency, Air Commodore Bature, briefed him on the recovery efforts at the Government House in Akure.
The governor said he immediately directed the mobilisation of relevant state agencies after receiving news of the crash while attending an official engagement in Abuja, describing the incident as a national tragedy.
He commiserated with the families of the victims and praised President Bola Tinubu for declaring three days of mourning for the military personnel who lost their lives in the crash.
Aiyedatiwa said the difficult swampy terrain and narrow, shallow creeks around the crash site had hampered recovery efforts, noting that local residents had been assisting security and emergency agencies with boats to access the area.
He said he would visit Igbokoda to engage with residents and monitor the operation, while commending NEMA, SEMA, the military, other responders and the local community for their efforts.
Bature disclosed that three swamp buggies had been deployed to the crash site to facilitate access to the difficult terrain and aid the recovery of the aircraft wreckage.
The NEMA official said the operation involved NEMA, SEMA, the Nigerian Air Force, Navy, Army, Police and local residents, expressing confidence that the remaining wreckage and other parts of the aircraft would soon be recovered.