Classmate pays moving tribute to crashed Air Force plane pilot

A classmate of Squadron Leader Mahmoud Aburime, pilot of the ill-fated Air Force aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State on Monday, yesterday paid moving tributes to his memory.

Squadron Leader Aburime was a postgraduate student of Mass Communication at the University of Benin (UNIBEN) before his death.

The nation was still enveloped in grief yesterday as the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) intensified the search and recovery operations, three days after the crash involving its ATR 42 aircraft, NAF 931.

Anxious residents joined relatives of the victims, who thronged the swampy site of the crash, which killed 25 personnel, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers.

The military aircraft crashed during a routine flight from Benin to Lagos.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who visited the site yesterday, was accompanied by the Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base (FOB), Igbokoda, Navy Captain Andy Alemongwa.

The tragedy threw Squadron Leader Aburime’s course mates into mourning.

The deceased was described as a calm, disciplined, humble and promising officer, who combined military service with his pursuit of higher education.

A tribute by one of his classmates, Samson Akharele, said: ‘’It is with a heart that is heavy, shattered, lacerated, and overwhelmed with indescribable grief that I pen this condolence.”

He said the military officer was expected to round off his Master’s coursework this month before commencing his dissertation.

Lamenting the turn of events, he said the officer’s academic aspirations, career plans and family expectations were abruptly cut short by the crash.

Akharele said Aburime was a “promising, brilliant, intelligent and ambitious young man,” who maintained a low profile despite his military career.

He described the deceased as easy-going, calm, reserved, humble and gentle, adding that he was disciplined in conduct and dignified in appearance.

Akharele added: “He was a perfect blend of intellect and gallantry.”

The course mate also recalled that Aburime had attended a ‘make-up test’ on Friday at the university, but it was postponed.

“Who would have thought that Friday would be the last Friday of his earthly academic sojourn?” he asked.

Akharele said the deceased’s death had left a deep void among his classmates, friends, family members and military colleagues, recalling the close relationship between Aburime and another coursemate simply identified as Tolu.

He said the bond between the two men went beyond ordinary friendship, describing them as “brothers, inseparable, intertwined, bonded by loyalty and genuine affection.”

He added: “You died as a hero, you died in service, you died while still pursuing knowledge but painfully to the world.

The NAF said the coordinated operation was being led by the Service under the direction of the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, with personnel working with other security and emergency agencies to recover the main part of the aircraft, the black box and bodies from the swampy terrain.

NAF’s spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said in a statement that the Air Chief praised the personnel involved in the operation for their dedication and professionalism.

To complement the Airforce efforts, the Nigerian Navy also deployed “specialised sonar equipment,” following an assessment of the site by the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, and the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, NAF, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdul Suleh.

Also yesterday, Air Marshall Aneke and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, agreed to deepen collaboration between the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in aviation safety, airworthiness, certification, training and capacity building.

The move, they said, would narrow the strict dichotomy between civil and military aviation safety.

Keyamo said: “The incident has further strengthened the need for greater cooperation and the sharing of expertise between the two sides.

“It is one country, one people. When disaster happens, it affects everybody. There were civilians in that air crash, and when there’s an air crash in civil aviation too, there can be military personnel. And so, it is important that we cooperate in the area of safety.”

The minister noted that the Nigerian Air Force already relied on civil aviation infrastructure, particularly air traffic control, adding that the existing relationship should now be expanded into a more structured partnership.

Air Marshal Aneke said both institutions had already commenced discussions on a framework that would enable personnel from the civil aviation sector to contribute to the Air Force’s safety environment, particularly in the areas of airworthiness and certification, while Air Force personnel would also contribute their expertise to the civil aviation sector where required.

The Nigerian Navy, which deployed “specialised sonar equipment” to locate the aircraft, expressed hope about the rescue operations.

According to a directive from the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department was mandated to deploy the sonar equipment to conduct an underwater survey of the crash site.

The Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base (FOB), Igbokoda, Navy Captain Andy Alemongwa, told reporters that the equipment was deployed because the high turbidity of the swamp made underwater visibility extremely poor.

He said the sonar survey would assist in mapping out the crash location and establish the precise position of the submerged aircraft.

Alemongwa said the information obtained from the survey would guide divers and other technical personnel involved in the recovery operation.

He said: “The operation is also being supported by Nigerian Navy divers and NAF drone pilots conducting searches across the surrounding mangrove and forested areas.”

The visiting naval and air force commanders were received at the FOB Officers’ Mess before proceeding by boat to the crash site for an on-the-spot assessment.

At the site, the officers assessed the terrain and provided technical guidance on measures to accelerate the recovery operation.

The outpouring of grief by leaders, including governors, senators and politicians, continued across the country.

Following the declaration of the three-day mourning period, many political and other organisations suspended their activities in honour of the victims.

Aiyedatiwa, who commiserated with the Federal Government, the Armed Forces and the bereaved families, said only the pilot can actually give an insight into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

The Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Joel-Onowakpo Thomas (Delta South), expressed grief, describing the incident as a “national catastrophe.”

Abia State Governor Alex Otti, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ferdinand Ekeoma, lamented the death of Man-Ugwueje and other military personnel aboard the crashed plane.

He said: “This accident is both painful and devastating, because it has brought untold sorrow and anguish to the victims’ families, their friends and loved ones, the Nigerian Air Force, and the nation at large.”

Otti regretted that the Squadron Leader was killed in the air disaster about two weeks after he wedded his beloved wife, Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle, in Abuja.

He said the tragedy robbed the couple of the beautiful opportunity of spending their lives together as husband and wife.

Aiyedatiwa said only the pilot could explain what led to the accident.

He said accounts by residents indicated that the aircraft appeared to have developed a problem while airborne, adding that the pilot may have attempted to steer it away from the populated area before it crashed into a swamp.

Usually, the black box and voice recorder on a crashed plane reveal the last conversation between the pilot and the control tower, through which the cause of the crash could be established.

Aiyedatiwa, who visited the crash site to assess the ongoing search and recovery operation, commiserated with the bereaved families.

He said: “Only the pilot would have been able to explain the efforts made to manoeuvre the aircraft. From accounts given by residents, they saw the aircraft descending with what sounded like an engine problem. It was coming down and almost appeared set to crash within the community.”

The governor said body parts had been recovered and preserved for further investigation, while clothing belonging to some Air Force personnel and fragments of the aircraft had also been found.

However, he said the main wreckage remained submerged in the swamp.

Aiyedatiwa explained that the difficult terrain initially hampered access to the crash site, prompting him to direct the Ministry of Works to deploy two swamp buggies to open up the waterways.

Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, who lamented the disaster, said: “As Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, this is a deeply personal wound. These were not just numbers. They were our bravest patriots, gallant officers and men who stood between us and danger, who chose a life of honour and sacrifice.”

The senator expressed sorrow over the death of the young co-pilot, who celebrated his wedding only 16 days before the crash.

He said: “My soul weeps for the young co-pilot who had only just celebrated his wedding 16 days ago, for every mother who will wait in vain, for every child who will never see their father return and for every family whose world has collapsed in a single moment.”

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