ONDO, Nigeria – The Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, has appealed to the Federal Government to urgently clean up communities in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State following pollution allegedly caused by the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda.
The monarch made the appeal to President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Environment during a visit to the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda, alongside other traditional rulers and members of the Olugbo-in-Council.
According to a statement issued on Friday by his media aide, Sesan Forolagba, the crash aftermath has raised concerns about water contamination, air pollution and the disruption of fishing activities in the coastal communities.
The statement said residents had complained about a persistent offensive odour around the crash site, while local fishermen reported losses following the alleged pollution of nearby water bodies. “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,” the monarch said.
The aircraft, reportedly belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, crashed in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, on 5 October 2026, killing 25 people on board.
However, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku, said the state government had begun efforts to restore environmental conditions in the affected communities. “The efforts are ongoing, the fumigation is going on, we have begun and it will be completed,” he said.
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