Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State says he suspects sabotage in the near air mishap involving a private jet he was to fly to Abuja from Lagos.
Media reports had it that the trip the governor was to make on the aircraft of Dr Deji Adeleke, his elder brother, was aborted after the pilot discovered a fault in the engine a minute just as it began taxiing along the runway.
The incident reportedly occurred at the domestic wing of Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State.
Reacting in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor confirmed that the incident happened.
He noted that the highly technically equipped aircraft was well maintained with the best technical crew.
He also noted that contrary to the claim by the hangar owner that birds’ nests caused the incident, birds’ nests are made with straws not binding 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 taxiing on the tarmac.
“An early warning noise from the engines immediately prompted the pilots to direct the evacuation of the passengers.
“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 Governor Adeleke and his aides are safe and there was no injury or any outward explosion on the plane.”
Director-General of the Civil Aviation of Nigeria, Capt. Musa Nuhu, said investigation was ongoing.
The DG also warned against sensationalizing the incident, disclosing that a mandatory occurrence report was filed to the NCAA a day after the incident as required by the regulations.
The DG also said what happened was a normal procedure in aviation which any pilot would do after noticing a snag in the jet.
According to him, the NCAA after receiving the report immediately sent its team to assess the level of damage to the engine.
He also noted that it is a normal training procedure and cautioned against sensationalism which may occur due to the personality involved
