The governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, stated this on Sunday, while confirming that the governor and some of his aides narrowly escaped the aircraft crash.
The Osun State government has stated that early reports from the internal investigation on the faulty private jet conveying Governor Ademola Adeleke and some of his aides which caught fire indicated that there was “sabotage.”
The governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, stated this on Sunday, while confirming that the governor and some of his aides narrowly escaped the aircraft crash.
Rasheed alleged that the engine of the aircraft carrying the governor might have been tampered with.
SaharaReporters on Sunday reported that tragedy was recently averted when the private jet owned by Nigerian billionaire businessman, Chief Adedeji Adeleke, caught fire while taking off at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos State.
Adedeji is the father of Afrobeat star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.
He is also the brother of Osun State governor.
Adeleke owns the Bombadier Global Express 6000 involved in the incident. The jet is used as a family plane by the Adelekes.
According to the report, the incident occurred at the domestic wing of the Airport at about 9am on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, when the jet was about to take off from Lagos to Abuja.
It was learnt that the aircraft had taxied to the end of the runway, shortly before departure, when a loud explosion was heard from the engine of the jet, causing it to abort take-off immediately.
Reacting in a statement, Rasheed said the aircraft was well maintained with the best technical crew and was never an unused platform where birds could build nests.
The statement further read, “Contrary to the claim by the hanger owner that birds’ nests caused the incident, birds’ nests are made with straws not bidding wires as in this case.
“The near-fatal incident was averted shortly after boarding and less than two minutes after commencement of taxing on the tarmac.
“An early warning noise from the engines immediately prompted the pilots to direct evacuation of the passengers. Everything happened within five minutes.
“Early reports from the internal investigation indicated sabotage. But the authorities, locally and internationally, are still investigating the incident.”
He, however, assured the public that Adeleke and his aides were safe as there was no injury or any outward explosion on the plane.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau have initiated a thorough investigation into this incident.
The Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, disclosed this in a press statement on Sunday.
The statement partly read, “A full-blown investigation of the incident has since commenced.
“While expressing relief that the incident ended without any harm, the Honourable Minister, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN, assured that the outcome of the NCAA’s investigation and recommendations will be implemented in line with Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations and global best practices.”