Aircraft carrying Tinubu’s minister crashes near Ibadan Airport

A potentially catastrophic incident was narrowly averted when an aircraft carrying Adebayo Adelabu, the Minister of Power, crash-landed near Ibadan Airport in Oyo State. Initially, reports indicated that the aircraft had crashed, but it was later clarified that it had crash-landed.

Details of the incident remained vague at the time of reporting. The incident occurred on a Friday night, and it is unclear if the minister or anyone else on board sustained any injuries. This incident transpired after the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) had issued travel warnings due to hazy weather conditions. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had also advised pilots and airline operators to exercise caution as the dry season approached.

The chartered aircraft, identified as a Flint Short Aero HS 125 with registration number 5N-AMM, initiated contact with the control tower at 18:56 to request an extension, which was granted by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). The aircraft’s departure was from Abuja, with Ibadan as its destination.

According to sources, the aircraft executed a landing that fell short of the threshold by approximately 50 meters and skidded into a bushy ditch near the runway. Although the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has been informed of this serious incident, an official statement from the authority is still pending.

NSIB’s spokesperson, Mr. Tunji Oketunmbi, confirmed that the bureau’s investigators were present at the scene in Ibadan to determine both the immediate and underlying causes of the incident.