‎Ondo air crash: Monarch seeks Tinubu’s intervention over pollution

FILE: President Bola Tinubu

The Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, has appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the cleaning-up of Ilaje communities which had been polluted as a result of the plane crash which occurred in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

‎This was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the monarch’s media aide, Sesan Forolagba.

‎It was earlier reported that the aircraft which belonged to the Nigerian Air Force crashed in Igbokoda on October 5, 2026 , killing 25 people on board.

‎While the military efforts to recover the wreckage of the ill-fated aircraft is still ongoing, the residents of the community have been crying over the offensive odour emitting from the crash site while the fishermen in the communities said their business had been badly affected following the pollution of the water.

‎To this end, Oba Akinruntan who led some other monarchs and the Olugbo-in-Council to the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Environment for urgent intervention on the development.

‎According to the monarch, the crash aftermath has severely damaged local water bodies disrupting drinking sources and fishing activities while dangerous air pollution continues to plague the area.

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‎”We are making this passionate appeal on behalf of the good people of Ugboland to our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Minister for Environment.

‎”We urgently need the Federal Government’s immediate attention and assistance to clean up our environment. The water we drink and use for fishing has been tainted while the air pollution is worsening by the day. We need your rescue now,” he appealed.

‎According to the statement, the monarch, while praising the unwavering gallantry and sacrifice of the armed forces, emphasised that swift federal environmental remediation was critically required to safeguard public health and restore livelihoods in the coastal communities.

‎However, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, said efforts are ongoing to sanitise the environment and install environmental normalcy into the affected communities.

‎Ajanaku said, “The efforts are ongoing, the fumigation is going on, we have begun and it would be completed.”