Posted by By Kingsley Omonobi & Emma Ulayi on
A Nigerian air force Dornier 228 aircraft with 17 people, including senior military officers, on board crashed in a yet unknown part of Nigeria, defense spokesman Felix Chukwuma said Sept 17.
*5 Generals, 13 others on board
ABUJA - A Nigerian Air Force Donier 228 plane with about five army generals and 13 other personnel on board, yesterday, crashed at Titambaertera, near Vandekiya, Benue State. This is 18 nautical from the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State. Some survivors were said to have been rescued at press time.
'Some of the occupants survived. I can confirm to you. As per the number, I cannot be categorical now because the place where it happened is a village with uncertain terrain," the Air Force spokesman, Group Captain Emeka Ozoemena, said yesterday.
The Nigerian Army, in an official statement last night confirmed the crash and the death of some of those on board but said their names would be announced after their family members might have been duly informed.
The Army personnel on board were said to be members of the Chief of Army Staff's advance team to a retreat being organised by the Nigerian Army at the famous ranch. The plane departed Abuja at about 10 a.m. yesterday and was preparing for landing at the Bebi airstrip when the incident happened.
Group Captain Ozoemena, Director of Air Foce Public Relations, told Vanguard on telephone that Search and Rescue personnel were quickly dispatched to the scene of the accident, and this was said to be largely responsible for recovering the survivors.
Asked if the weather which was said to be hazy at the time was responsible for the incident, Ozoemena said: 'Right now, what we are doing is to rescue the occupants of the aircraft. The incident report, we hope will come out tomorrow (today), will tell us the cause of the crash."
It was gathered that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Paul Dike, and his Army counterpart, Lt. General Owoye Andrew Azazi who was initially thought to be in the aircraft, later left Abuja at about 4 p.m. in an Air Force Hercules 130 aircraft to Calabar to see things for themselves.
However, their plane returned to Abuja as it could not land because of bad weather.
Spokesman for the Cross River State government, Mr. Joseph Usiaghale, said yesterday that search and rescue operations were continuing.