More than a week after a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, residents say they are battling offensive odour, polluted water and fear of disease outbreak.
The NAF ATR-42, flying from Benin City to Lagos, crashed into a swamp near the Air Force Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda on October 5, killing all 25 persons on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers.
The aircraft submerged into the swamp, prompting a joint search and recovery operation by the Air Force, other security agencies and emergency responders. More than a week after, locals say the operation is yet to be fully concluded.
Residents have appealed to the Federal Government, Ondo State government and the Nigerian Air Force to urgently evacuate human remains, clean up the environment and provide safe drinking water.
Community leaders told Vanguard that decomposing bodies and spillage of aviation fuel have left the area polluted.
The Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said the stench from the crash site has spread to residential areas, with body parts still floating on the river and traces of fuel observed some distance from the wreckage.
“The odour is extremely offensive and unbearable. So many parts of human bodies are floating around in the river. Some of the bodies have not been recovered, they have decomposed and it is affecting everything,” the monarch said.
He said the development has raised concerns over contamination of the river, which serves as a major source of water for domestic use, and appealed for urgent removal of remaining bodies and debris, containment of fuel spillage and full environmental remediation, including provision of potable water pending clean-up.
Residents near the river described distressing experiences.
“What happened in Igbokoda is a very sad experience. Since the accident occurred, different kinds of unpleasant odours have been carried by the breeze into our homes. I live upstairs and I have been perceiving the smell for at least four days now,” said Omogbemi Damola, urging government to expedite recovery.
Another resident, Oroyo Levy, said the situation has become a public health concern.
“We are appealing to government to act swiftly to contain the odour and prevent it from posing further health risks. The smell suggests air pollution and we are worried about its effect, especially on children,” he said, urging investigation of environmental impact.
Residents urged the National Emergency Management Agency, State Emergency Management Agency and environmental agencies to intervene to prevent outbreak of waterborne diseases.
Reacting, Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Tob Loko, said government is collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure maximum recovery.
“The state government is collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure that we carry out as much recovery as possible. But you know that despite the number of days the recovery effort has been ongoing, no meaningful recovery has been made. None of the corpses has been recovered.
“What we are trying to do is make a holistic assessment of the level of public health impact and determine how we can embark on decontamination efforts because the surrounding area is surely contaminated,” he said.
On claims of drinking water pollution, Loko said the claim was not entirely correct, noting there are boreholes and the crash site is at least 500 metres away from the bulk of the metropolis.
“There are boreholes around. So, the claim that the water is no longer useful is not entirely correct… to say that the people do not have water to drink as a result of the crash is not a sustainable argument,” he added. (Vanguard)
