Almost three months after the crash of a Nigerian Navy helicopter which led to the death of the former Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Yakowa and the former National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoye Azazi (rtd) and four others, an investigative report has pinned the cause of the crash on either human error or material failure.
Azazi and Yakowa had on December 15, 2012, boarded the ill-fated helicopter on their way to Port Harcourt from Bayelsa where they had gone to attend the final funeral rites of the father of a special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr Oronto Douglas, when the tragedy occurred.
The Accident Investigation Board (AIB) that was constituted by the Nigerian Air Force at the instance of the Nigerian Navy to ascertain the cause of the fatal crash involving the Nigerian Navy’s Agusta helicopter has submitted an interim report to the Naval Headquarters.
A statement released by the Navy and signed by its spokesman, Commodore Kabiru Aliyu said that the cause of the disaster has been traced to either human error or material failure, but it categorically ruled out sabotage as was speculated in some quarters.
The Navy spokesperson said, “The Investigation which was conducted by aviation experts in collaboration with the manufacturers – Agusta Westland — has stated that the cause of the crash could either be human error or material failure or a combination of both.
“However, to determine the actual cause of the crash, there would be the need to tear down the engine of the helicopter in order to carry out detailed forensic analysis. This aspect of the investigation will be carried out by Turbomeca, the manufacturers of the engine.
“It is important to emphasise that an independent police report has equally ruled out sabotage as a possible cause of the crash. Further information on the investigation would be made public when available.”
The sabotage theory came up when a section of Kaduna State was caught celebrating over the death of Governor Yakowa, the first Christian to be elected into the office in the state.
However, his successor, Governor Muktar Ramalan Yero is said to be working round the clock to disabuse the minds of those who hold that opinion.
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