Ondo Governor Orders River Cleanup After Deadly Air Force Crash

(Ondo State Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa. Photo Credit: Ondo State Government House)

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has ordered the fumigation of the Igbokoda River and the distribution of nose masks and health kits to residents.

The order follows complaints about a strong stench from the river near the site of last week's Nigerian Air Force plane crash.

In a statement on Wednesday, Information Commissioner Idowu Ajanaku said the Ministries of Environment and Health have been told to start fumigating the river to prevent disease.

The river is a major source of income for people in Igbokoda and nearby communities.

If the river is found to be badly polluted, Ilaje Local Government will arrange water tankers to supply clean water until the problem is fixed.

The NAF ATR-42, registration NAF 931, crashed into a swampy area of Igbokoda on October 5 while flying from Benin City to Lagos.

All 25 people on board died, including five crew members and 20 passengers.

Nine days after the crash, recovery work was still going on.

The swampy ground and the sunken aircraft have made the operation hard.

Residents say the smell is getting worse.

The Igbokoda monarch, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, has asked both governments to speed up recovery and deal with possible contamination from human remains and spilt fuel.

The Air Force has set up a 12-member board of inquiry to look into the crash.