The traditional ruler of Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, has appealed to the Federal and state governments to speed up recovery operations following the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in the community.
The monarch said residents were facing unpleasant conditions due to a persistent stench believed to be coming from human remains yet to be retrieved from the river. He also raised concerns about aviation fuel reportedly spilling into the surrounding water.
The ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda last Monday with at least 25 people on board. Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, had said there were no confirmed survivors as search efforts continued.
In a telephone interview, Odidiomo described the situation as disturbing, saying decomposing remains in the river were affecting the community.
He said, “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.”
According to the monarch, the suspected contamination has also made it difficult for residents to obtain clean water for household use, including cooking.
He further said signs of aviation fuel could be seen on the river beyond the immediate crash site, raising fears about the spread of pollution.
Odidiomo urged the authorities to intensify efforts to recover the remaining victims and aircraft wreckage while urgently cleaning up the affected environment.
Responding to the concerns, Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Tob Loko, said the state government was working alongside the Federal Government to assess the damage and address the situation.
Loko explained that state officials had visited Igbokoda shortly after the incident to examine the environmental consequences and support ongoing recovery efforts.
He said, “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.
“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.”
The commissioner said no bodies had been recovered despite the ongoing search, adding that officials were assessing the pollution and its possible consequences for residents’ health.
He said, “Shortly afterwards, concerns about pollution were raised. 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.
“So, 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.”
