Tragedy was averted on Friday evening when an aircraft which had the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, on board crash-landed near Ibadan Airport in Oyo State.
Information had earlier filtered in that the aircraft crashed, but it was later discovered that it crash-landed.
Details of the incident were still sketchy but it was gathered that it happened on Friday night.
According to a source, the chartered aircraft Flint Short Aero, an HS 125 with the registration number: 5N-AMM, had an initial contact with the control tower at 18:56 seeking for extension, which was granted by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
The aircraft took off from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja with Ibadan as its destination.
The Point gathered that the aircraft landed short of the threshold with about 50 metres and skidded into a bushy ditch close to the runway.
It was not clear if the Minister or those on board sustained any injury in the incident, which happened after the Nigerian Meteorological Agency issued a travel warning based on hazy weather.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had also advised pilots and airline operators to exercise caution over hazardous weather as the dry season approaches.
Though the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has been informed of the serious incident, the authority was yet to issue a statement.
A spokesperson with NSIB, Tunji Oketunmbi, said that the Bureau’s investigators were on ground in Ibadan to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the incident.
Confirming the incident, the General Manager of the State Fire Service, Yemi Adeyimika said, “Yes, it is true, our men are on their way but I don’t have details now.”
He said that his men arrived at the scene of the incident on time but met other fire services from other agencies on ground.
“What could have resulted in monumental loss was timely averted. There was neither loss of lives or property as the situation has been put under control,” he said.