Friday 26 October 2012

Governor Danbaba Suntai survives air crash

Governor of northeast Nigeria's Taraba State Danbaba Suntai has survived an air crash involving his private aircraft Cessna 208 with registration number 5N-BMJ in Yola, capital of Adamawa State, a statement released by the office of Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah said Thursday. 

According to the statement, the Nigerian governor is in a critical condition, while five others in the aircraft including crew members sustained severe injuries after the air crash. 

"The pilot lost contact with Yola control Tower and subsequent effort to raise the aircraft failed. A search and rescue team was immediately activated and site of the incident was located with all victims alive with various degrees of injuries," said the minister, while explaining briefly how the aircraft crashed. 

Pending further investigation on the incident, the pilot had earlier contacted the Yola Control Tower at about 5:20 p.m. local time with an estimated landing time at 5:30 p.m. local time, she explained further. 

Although officials of Nigeria's Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have declined to comment on the incident for unknown reasons, several top government officials in Taraba State also informed Xinhua that the air crash occurred near a bush in Yola of Adamawa State.

"The Taraba State governor piloted the aircraft by himself and this is not his first time of doing so," said a top government official who declined to be named.

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