Agony in coastal Ondo!
Residents of Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area are crying out in anguish, saying the October 5 Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash has poisoned their only river, depriving them of drinking water, cooking water, fishing and entire livelihood.
That Water Is Our Life – Monarch Laments
Traditional ruler of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, poured out his heart to The Nation, describing situation as unbearable.
“That is the water we fetch to cook. It is the water we drink from. It is the water we use for our day-to-day life. And if today it is polluted, the stench is nothing else but from dead bodies. It has infested the water,” the monarch lamented.
For people of Igbokoda, river is not just water, it is life itself. They drink it, cook with it, fish in it, bathe in it. Now it stinks of death and aviation fuel.
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The NAF aircraft carrying 25 people – five crew and 20 passengers – crashed into swampy area near community during routine mission from Benin to Lagos. All died. Ten days after, no complete body has been recovered, only scattered body parts, as rescue teams battle difficult swampy terrain.
We Can’t Drink, Can’t Fish, Can’t Survive
Residents told reporters they can no longer fetch water from river. The stench is suffocating. They fear drinking it will cause outbreak of diseases. Fishermen have abandoned river, fearing contamination from decomposing bodies, aviation fuel and volatile organic compounds.
“What will we do? Government should help us,” a distraught resident cried. Without river, they have no alternative water source, no fish to sell, no means to feed families. Hardship worsening daily.
Ondo Govt Declares Emergency, Orders Fumigation
Ondo State Government has moved to contain crisis.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa yesterday ordered immediate extensive fumigation of river to reduce stench, mop up pollution and prevent possible disease outbreak.
Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku, said governor also directed Ilaje LGA to arrange water tankers for continuous distribution of potable water if river found severely polluted.
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Commissioner for Environment, Tob Loko, said government will conduct air and water quality tests to determine level of contamination before comprehensive decontamination.
“Up to now, we have not been able to recover a full body. All that we could get are body parts, and some body parts have not been recovered,” Loko revealed, adding that decomposing remains could attract dangerous microorganisms.
Decontamination Looms As Excavation Continues
Excavations still ongoing with more heavy machinery deployed to remove remaining parts of aircraft.
Government restated readiness to support NAF evacuation efforts while ensuring welfare and safety of residents.
But for Igbokoda people, intervention cannot come too soon. Every day without clean water is nightmare. They want river cleaned, bodies evacuated, and safe drinking water restored immediately.
