The monarch of Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, has called on the Federal and Ondo State governments to accelerate the recovery of human remains from the site of last week’s Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash.
Odidiomo said decomposing remains believed to be from victims of the crash were still floating in the river, creating a severe odour and raising concerns about the safety of residents and the surrounding environment.
A Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda last Monday with at least 25 people on board.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had said there were no confirmed survivors, while search and recovery operations continued.
Speaking by telephone, the monarch said the situation had become increasingly distressing for residents, particularly those living close to the river where the aircraft went down.
“The odour is extremely offensive. So many parts of the human body are floating around in the river. Some of the bodies have not been recovered. They have decomposed, and it is affecting everything,” he said.
Odidiomo also raised concerns over alleged aviation fuel contamination, saying traces of spilled fuel could be seen on the surface of the river some distance from the crash site.
According to him, the pollution had compounded the difficulties faced by residents who depend on the river and other nearby water sources for domestic activities.
He said access to clean water had become a major challenge, with residents struggling to obtain sufficient water for essential needs, including cooking.
The monarch appealed to the authorities to intensify the recovery of the remaining human remains and aircraft debris, while also commencing an urgent environmental clean-up of the affected area.
He said a coordinated response was needed to prevent further environmental and public health consequences arising from the crash.
Responding to the concerns, Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Tob Loko, said the state government was working with the Federal Government to address the environmental consequences of the incident.
Loko said the state had deployed a delegation to Igbokoda shortly after the crash to assess the impact on the environment and support the ongoing recovery efforts.
“Shortly after the plane crash occurred, the state government sent a delegation to the place for an on-the-spot assessment of the impact of the crash on the environment. Many people were there to assist in the recovery efforts. I think that is still ongoing,” he said.
The commissioner stressed that recovery operations were primarily a Federal Government responsibility, but said Ondo State was providing support.
“What we are trying to do is support the Federal Government because it is not entirely an effort to be undertaken by the state government. The state government is collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure that we carry out as much recovery as possible,” Loko added.
Loko said no bodies had been recovered at the time of his comments, despite several days of search operations, while authorities were also assessing the extent of the reported pollution.
He said the state government was conducting an assessment of the potential public health implications and would determine appropriate decontamination measures.
“What we are trying to do is make a heuristic 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.
The commissioner acknowledged that pollution had occurred around the crash site but assured residents that the government was working to address both the environmental and public health implications.
“There is a case of pollution, but we are not resting on our oars. As I have said, we are carefully undertaking holistic assessments of the environmental impact and the public health impact of what has happened there to ensure that we address it as quickly as possible,” Loko said.
