NIGERIA: Kaduna governor's helicopter experienced difficulty landing prior to deadly crash say locals

Record ID: 235859

  • Title: NIGERIA: Kaduna governor's helicopter experienced difficulty landing prior to deadly crash say locals
  • Date: 16th December 2012
  • Summary: BAYELSA, NIGERIA (DECEMBER 16, 2012) (REUTERS) CHARRED WRECKAGE OF CRASHED HELICOPTER WRITING ON CHARRED WRECKAGE READS (ENGLISH): 'NIGERIAN NAVY' MORE OF WRECKAGE AND DEBRIS (SOUNDBITE) (Pidgin English) RESIDENT IN OKOROBA, JOSHUA TIMOTHY, SAYING: "Yesterday the plane attempted landing three times, because the plane was shaking, but the third time, it landed very well, when it was going back it started waving in the air and this thing happened." CLOSE OF WRECKAGE / NIGERIAN FLAG ON REMAINS OF HELICOPTER (SOUNDBITE) (Pidgin English) RESIDENT IN OKOROBA, JOSHUA TIMOTHY, SAYING: "Yes, I was shocked. I thought the pilot was drunk." SITE WHERE THE HELICOPTER TOOK OFF EMPTY CHAIR AT VENUE OF FUNERAL SERVICE MAKESHIFT KITCHEN USED AT THE FUNERAL SERVICE DESTROYED BY THE HELICOPTER BEFORE TAKING OFF (SOUNDBITE) (Pidgin English) TRADER, DORIS AKENE, SAYING: "I was at home and the guests as well, we were cooking, the helicopter appeared suddenly and destroyed the roof of the house and the debris fell on people around." ROOF OF MAKESHIFT KITCHEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) HAIRDRESSER, JOYCE MARKSON, SAYING: "We were happy, saying 'Oronto is coming, Oronto is coming', and there were some strangers here, some women cooking; and when the plane came it almost removed the roof of the house all these things that are on the ground, it is the plane that caused it." VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER WRECKAGE VILLAGER TAKING A PHOTO OF THE CRASHED HELICOPTER MORE OF WRECKAGE
  • Embargoed: 31st December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Accidents,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1JQPGLHMZRZVV1ILKNR42GFII
  • Story Text: Locals in Nigeria's southerly oil-producing Bayelsa state described on Sunday (December 16) witnessing the take off of a helicopter that later crashed and killed the governor of Nigeria's volatile Kaduna state and a former national security advisor, among four others on Saturday (December 15).
    The helicopter crashed while returning from a funeral service for father of the Special Adviser to the President, Douglas Oronto.
    The helicopter wobbled in the air before nose-diving into a forest in Ogbia Creek at around 3:30 p.m. (0930 ET), a local resident who witnessed the crash told Reuters.
    Joshua Timothy, a resident in Okoroba community said the aircraft had already experienced a little difficulty while landing on arrival at the funeral ceremony.

    "Yesterday the plane attempted landing three times, because the plane was shaking, but the third time, it landed very well, when it was going back it started wobbling in the air and this thing happened," he said, adding: "I was shocked. I thought the pilot was drunk."
    The Nigerian Navy has recovered the bodies of Kaduna state governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, former national security adviser General Owoye Azazi, their aides Dauda Tsoho and Mohammed Kamal and the two pilots, Muritala Mohammed Daba and Adeyemi Sowole.
    This was confirmed in a statement signed on Sunday by Naval Director of Information, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu.
    Several high-profile politicians had travelled to Bayelsa, Nigeria's President Jonathan's home state, this weekend for the funeral.

    "I was at home and the guests as well, we were cooking, the plane appeared suddenly and almost destroyed the roof of the house and the debris fell on people around," Doris Akene, a trader said.
    The Nigerian Navy has yet to give a reason for the crash and civilian authorities declined to speculate on the cause.
    President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered an investigation.
    Joyce Markson, hairdresser based in Okoroba said she and others were initially excited seeing the helicopter approach from a distance, not knowing it was experiencing technical difficulties.

    "We were happy, saying 'Oronto is coming, Oronto is coming', and there were some strangers here, some women cooking; and when the plane came it almost removed the roof of the house all these things that are on the ground, it is the plane that caused it," Joyce said.
    Yakowa won a tight vote last year to become Kaduna's first Christian governor, under the ruling People's Democratic Party ticket.
    He replaced Namadi Sambo, who is now vice president.
    The 36 state governors are among the most powerful politicians in Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, often controlling budgets bigger than those of many African countries.
    Azazi had been a close adviser to Jonathan but was sacked in June as Nigeria struggled to stem Boko Haram's attacks, which focus on politicians, security forces and religious targets.
    Like many African countries, Nigeria has a poor air safety record.
    Nigeria's deputy police chief and three other officers were killed when a helicopter crashed in the central city of Jos in March.
    In June, a passenger plane crashed into a densely populated part of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, killing 163 people.
    ENDS
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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