Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
Activist says images from crash site raise ‘serious questions’ about response capacity as he demands transparent probe
HUMAN rights activist and presidential candidate of the AAC, Omoyele Sowore, has expressed profound grief over the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near Igbokoda in Ondo State, while sharply questioning the country’s ability to respond to major disasters.
In a statement issued on Monday, Mr Sowore said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy, which claimed the lives of all 25 passengers and seven crew members on board.
“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of everyone aboard this aircraft, and to the officers and personnel of the Nigerian Air Force affected by this terrible tragedy,” he said.
However, the activist stressed that beyond the loss of life, the footage emerging from the crash site had raised troubling concerns about Nigeria’s emergency preparedness.
“The videos and images emerging from the area raise serious questions about Nigeria’s emergency preparedness and our capacity to respond rapidly and effectively to major disasters,” Mr Sowore said.
He argued that a nation of more than 200 million people should possess properly equipped, highly trained and rapidly deployable emergency-response teams capable of reaching difficult terrain with the equipment needed for search, rescue and recovery.
“At a moment when every second matters, a country of more than 200 million people should have properly equipped, highly trained and rapidly deployable emergency-response teams capable of reaching difficult terrain with the equipment required for search, rescue and recovery,” he said.
Mr Sowore called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the cause of the crash, but insisted that the emergency response itself must also come under scrutiny.
“We must also investigate the emergency response — how quickly help arrived, what equipment was available, what obstacles responders encountered, and whether lives could have been saved with a better prepared system,” he said.
He concluded with a stinging reflection on the state of the nation’s disaster readiness: “A disaster is tragic. Being unprepared to respond to one makes the tragedy even more painful.
“My thoughts remain with everyone aboard the aircraft, their families and the communities affected by this devastating incident.”
Mr Sowore’s intervention comes as President Bola Tinubu has ordered the Nigerian Air Force to commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash, and as tributes continue to pour in for the 32 victims.
