Ribadu, Tinubu, Adeola, others escape death (Page 2)

Chieftains of the Action Congress of Nigeria narrowly escaped death early Tuesday as one of the chartered aircraft conveying them to a rally in Bauchi State crash-landed into a herd of goats and rams on the runway of Bauchi Airport.

The aircraft with number 5BN-BNR was conveying the Vice Presidential candidate of the ACN, Fola Adeola, and other party leaders, including the party’s Deputy National Chairman, Boss Mustapha, and former National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Yusuf Alli.

Another aircraft conveying the ACN Presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu and other party chieftains, including a former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, hovered in the air for about one hour while the runway was being hurriedly cleared of the invading rams and goats.

The ACN chieftains flew into the state for the party’s presidential rally in Bauchi.

The Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organisation few hours after the incident alleged sabotage and called for an urgent investigation into the cause of the animal invasion of the runway.

“We suspect sabotage. And as a matter of urgency we call for an investigation into the immediate and remote cause of the runway invasion,” Director of Media and Publicity of the Nuhu Ribadu Campaign Organisation, Ibrahim Modibbo, said.

He added, “If not for the expertise of the pilot, we would probably not be saying what we are saying today.

“Is it possible for President Goodluck Jonathan who is also the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party to be involved in such a situation where the runway he is to land on will be filled by rams, which could have been controlled?”

Modibbo said the ACN was not asking for a special favour from the PDP government but that it should guarantee safety and security at the nation’s airports.

General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, Mr. Supo Atobatele, confirmed the incident which he described as unfortunate.

He said some rams strayed onto the runway as its landing gear (tyres) made impact with the runway.

Atobatele said that NAMA officials operating at Bauchi airstrip were usually assisted by men of the civil defence corps provided by the state because the airstrip belonged to the state government.

“This is an unfortunate incident. The report we have got from Bauchi is that up till three minutes before the aircraft landed, our men and the civil defence corps provided by the state had gone round the runway and certified it okay. It was just when the rear landing gear was touching the runway that some animals emerged from nowhere on the runway,” he added.

The Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren, also confirmed the incident. He however said that there was no loss of life, and that the damage to the airplane “was not too substantial”

The regulatory agency boss said, “Our men are on their way to the place to examine the case. There was no loss of life. It was a runway incursion by animals. The place is an airstrip and not an airport.”

Demuren had last week said that the agency would not certify any of the over 22 airports in the country until they had perimeter fences.

The regulatory agency had refused to license Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt airports because their ongoing World Bank-sponsored perimeter fence were yet to be completed.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation, the United Nation’s agency which regulates the aviation industry globally requires airports to have perimeter fencing, adequate fire cover and other safety and security related facilities before being certified.

An AirFrance plane in 2005 landed on cows at the Port Harcourt International Airport.