The Onilisa of Lisa, Oba Oladele Odugbemi, has urged the Federal and Ogun State governments to urgently rehabilitate the memorial arcade and access road at the site of the Bellview Airlines crash in Lisa Town, Ifo Local Government Area, which occurred on October 22, 2005.
Speaking at an interdenominational prayer session hosted by his palace, the monarch lamented that the once well-maintained memorial has been neglected and overtaken by weeds.
In a statement shared on Tuesday, Oba Odugbemi appealed to both levels of government to make the restoration of the Lisa Memorial Arcade a priority.
He said, “We are appealing to both the Federal and State Governments to restore this important site,” Oba Odugbemi said. “It is not only the resting place of 117 souls—Nigerians and foreign nationals alike—it is also a symbol of collective memory. We have made several representations in the past.
“Today, as part of the Isese 2025 celebration, we gather Christians, Muslims, and traditionalists to honour the victims and renew our call for action.”
As the 20th anniversary of the crash approaches on 22 October 2025, the monarch also described the 10.5-kilometre access road linking Ogba-Iyo in Ijoko through Oyero to the crash site as virtually impassable, saying the road’s original tarring lasted less than a year before seasonal flooding washed it away.
He proposed that the site be recognised as a national heritage asset and developed into an aviation memorial and educational centre to preserve memory and serve the growing local population.
Oba Odugbemi recalled the memorial’s inauguration by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and then-Governor Gbenga Daniel, when the site drew national attention and international sympathy.
According to the King, the arcade now houses the graves of all 117 victims of the crash, but is now in poor condition, with structural damage and erosion threatening their integrity.
He stressed that restoring the access road would not only facilitate remembrance but also serve the growing local population.
Clerics and traditional leaders who joined the prayer session, including Reverend O. Emmanuel, Chief Imaam Musemil Junaid and the town’s masquerade, Ajofoyinbo, led supplications for the victims and backed the monarch’s call for government action.The
The Palace of the Onilisa said youths and local vigilante teams volunteered to clear bushes around the memorial in the run-up to the planned commemoration.
It confirmed that preparations are underway for a formal commemoration on 22 October 2025, marking two decades since the tragedy.
Bellview Airlines Flight 210, a Boeing 737-200, crashed shortly after take-off from Lagos en route Abuja on 22 October 2005, killing all 117 passengers and crew.
The wreckage was discovered in Lisa Town, where the victims were later buried. The site remains a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of national remembrance.
The Onilisa’s palace confirmed that formal activities are being planned for 22 October 2025, when families of the victims, community members, and government representatives are expected to attend.
The monarch urged both tiers of government to support the commemoration by rehabilitating the memorial and improving access to the town.
Among victims of the crash are notable Nigerians and foreign nationals like the former Postmaster-General of Nigeria, Argungu Abubakar; Mr Omang Ojang, Director of Research and Documentation at the Nigerian Press Council; Mr Emmanuel Quaye, a Ghanaian who was serving as ECOWAS Director of Finance in Nigeria; and Mrs Maria Sokenu, a former Managing Director of the defunct Peoples Bank.
Others include His Royal Highness Usman Umar, the traditional ruler of Daddare in Nasarawa State, who also chaired the Board of Directors of the National Programme on Immunisation.
