Plane Crash-Lands At Benin Airport …As INEC Recruits 5,000 For Edo Polls

Another air mishap was averted yesterday morning when a plane crash-landed at Benin airport in the Edo State capital, sources said.

An eyewitness told The Tide that the incident, which occurred about 10.31 a.m, caused pandemonium among travellers at the airport.

However, no casualties were recorded in the incident, sources said.

A source at the airport, said that the aircraft, with registration number 5N-BKS, had two pilots on board and was on routine flight.

“The plane landed on the runway with its tyres locked in, an indication that the tyres did not shoot out.

“But only the pilot can really explain what happened,’’ the source said.

The source said that an airport rescue team led by the Commanding Officer, Air Maritime Operations, responded promptly with the emergency team.

Some people at the airport said the incident caused delays in flight operations for some hours.

The airport manager, Mr Segun Ayodele, who confirmed the incident, however said he was not at the airport when it occurred.

Meanwhile, the Accident Investigation Bureau yesterday confirmed the belly landing of a small aircraft at the Benin Airport, the Edo State capital.

In a short message, the spokesperson of AIB, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi, said, “a Diamond DA 2 MPP aircraft marked with 5N-BKS, belonging to PICOMMS  today (Thursday) around 11 am was involved in a serious incident of belly-landing at Benin Airport. No casualty was recorded.”

Oketunbi added that the aircraft belongs to the Federal Government.

According to a maritime source, PICOMMS means Presidential Committee on Maritime.

An industry source also confirmed that the pilot and a colleague in training were the only occupants of the aircraft, which was forced to belly land following the failure of the nose wheel or landing gear to retract.

After the incident, personnel on ground reportedly cleared the aircraft from the runway, so as not to disrupt operation at the airport.

The aircraft has been towed to the hangar belonging to Okada Air, near the Nigeria Air Force facility at the Benin Airport.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to recruit 5,000 lecturers and undergraduates of the University of Benin and Auchi Polytechnic for the conduct of the July 14 governorship election.

INEC Head of Public Affairs, Mrs Priscillia Imoudu-Sule, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Benin, last Wednesday.

She said that the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Kassim Gaidam, would declare open the training of the selected persons at the Auchi Polytechnic, in Etsako-West Local Government.

Imoudu-Sule explained that the management of both institutions was responsible for the selection of the lecturers and students to be used as INEC ad hoc staff for the election.

She explained that the school authorities were critical about the character and moral standing of those selected.

“The REC will during the training session impress it upon them the enormity of the assignment and the high sense of patriotism required of them while on the job,’’ she said.

Imoudu-Sule said a total of 10,000 ad hoc staff including the already trained members of the NYSC were expected to complement regular INEC staff to conduct the election.

She said that about 1.6 million voters captured in the voters’ list were expected to participate in the election.

In a related development,  the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), zone 5, Mr Argungu Hashimu has warned politicians in Edo State against the use of thugs in the July 14 governorship election.

Hashimu, told newsmen in Benin on Wednesday that any one caught using thugs in the forthcoming polls would be dealt with according to the law.

“They are warned in their own interest to desist from actions and utterances that could lead to crisis situation before, during and after the election.

“The Nigeria Police Force in my zone will not condole any act of lawlessness; we assure all Edo law-abiding citizens of the safety of their lives and property,’’ he said.

He said: “we are fully ready to discharge our constitutional duty in conjunction with other security agencies. ’’

The AIG, however, said some proactive strategies had been evolved to ensure the successful conduct of the election.

“To this end, we are expecting more police from neighbouring states and we are moving round the three senatorial districts to brief our men on the special operation during the election. ’’

He commended the political actors for their peaceful conduct, saying that the current political activities and campaigns had been peaceful and devoid of political acrimony.

L-R: Representative of Minister of Education, Prof. Sagir Abbas, Master Uwa Benjamin, a student of Iganmode Grammer School, Ota, with the first position trophy, Director-General, National Mathematical Centre, Prof. Adewale Solarin, Master Samuel Adegboyega of Ota Total Academy, Ota, with the first position trophy in Junior Category and Managing Director, Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, Chief Keith Richards, at the 2012 Cowbell National Secondary School Mathematics competition prize giving ceremony in Abuja, yesterday