The governor in a statement issued through his spokesman Olawale Rasheed on Sunday, had claimed that the engine of the aircraft carrying him and some of his aides was tampered with.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) have launched investigation into the averted plane crash involving Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State.
Governor Adeleke had alleged sabotage in the incident that happened about a week ago.
The governor in a statement issued through his spokesman Olawale Rasheed on Sunday, had claimed that the engine of the aircraft carrying him and some of his aides was tampered with.
“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.
“According to him, the near-fatal incident was averted shortly after boarding and less than two minutes after the commencement of taxing on the tarmac.
“An early warning noise from the engines immediately prompted the pilots to direct the 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,” the spokesman said.
However, the NCAA Director General Capt Musa Nuhu has expressed concern over the incident, when he, in a statement on Sunday, said "a full-blown investigation of the incident has since commenced".
He revealed that the operator of the aircraft “submitted the report through the new web-based National Aviation Safety Reporting System, SMS Pro, deployed by NCAA in collaboration with Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in compliance with the provisions of ICAO mandated State Safety Programme and the Civil Aviation Act 2022."
Thanking God that incident ended without any harm, he assured that the outcome of NCAA’s investigation and recommendations would be implemented "in line with Nig. CARS and global best practices".
“NCAA assures the traveling public that it will double its efforts in collaboration with NSIB to maintain and improve upon the high safety aviation standards set in the country over the past decade.”