It is a race against time, mud and mangroves.
More than 24 hours after a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft plunged into the swampy creeks of Igbokoda, Ondo State, rescue teams are still battling tortuous terrain to pull out victims and wreckage.
Trapped In Swamp Of Death
The aircraft, carrying 32 people, went down in the early hours of Monday, 500 metres east of the Naval Base, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area.
As of Tuesday, there is no confirmed survivor.
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Ohagwu, who paddled in a canoe to assess the crash site himself, painted a grim picture.
“What happened yesterday was quite unfortunate. It’s a very difficult terrain, the creeks, mangroves. Accessing the site of the crash was not easy,” he told reporters in Igbokoda.
The recovery operation is massive. It involves the Nigerian Navy, Army, Air Force, Marine Police, Fire Service, NEMA, Ondo SEMA, NSCDC, Amotekun Corps, FRSC and local divers.
Security operatives have remained in the swamp since Monday, awaiting heavier equipment and swamp buggies to lift the sunken aircraft from the water.
Journalists Blocked, Medical Teams Deployed
Tension flared at the site as soldiers allegedly arrested journalists, including an AFP correspondent, and barred others from accessing the crash location, raising fears of information blackout.
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Meanwhile, Ondo Health Commissioner, Banji Ajaka, said he had been in the forest with the Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base, FOB Igbokoda, coordinating search and rescue.
“I have been in the forest with CO FOB Igbokoda for search and rescue. I have deployed personnel and ambulances from all the hospitals in Ilaje and Okitipupa LGAs as directed by Mr Governor,” Ajaka said.
He said ambulances and medical teams from State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa, General Hospital Igbokoda, and Comprehensive Health Centre Igbokoda are on standby.
Ajaka warned against fake videos and photos circulating online, describing the crash as a national disaster that should not be politicized.
“This is a national disaster that we shouldn’t play politics with. Please let’s tarry and wait for verified information,” he pleaded.
Rescue continues in the mangroves.
