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Furdaus Obiremi
The traditional ruler of Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, Afolabi Odidiomo, has raised the alarm over alleged contamination of the community’s drinking water source following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft that killed 25 people.
Odidiomo warned that decomposing human remains and possible oil spills from the crashed plane could expose residents to serious health risks if urgent measures were not taken to assess and address the suspected pollution.
The monarch called on the Federal Government and Ondo State Government to urgently clean up the affected waterway, provide alternative sources of drinking water and restore the damaged environment of the community.
The military aircraft reportedly crashed into a swamp in Igbokoda area on Monday, October 5, 2026, killing all 25 people on board.
More than a week after the accident, efforts by rescue teams to recover the wreckage and remains of the victims have yielded limited results due to the difficult terrain.
The ongoing operation, involving the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, police, community members and the state government, has so far recovered some human remains and fragments of the plane, while the main wreckage remains missing.
However, the incident has sparked fresh concerns among residents, with the community’s traditional ruler warning that the tragedy could pose a further threat to public health and livelihoods.
Speaking at his palace, Odidiomo said the waterway where the plane crashed was the same source from which water was pumped to a treatment plant in Aboto, about seven kilometers away, before being supplied for domestic use.
He expressed concern that the suspected contamination could affect residents who depend on the water for drinking and other household activities.
“The concern of everyone in this community today is that our government spent time, energy, money and effort searching for the people who had been torn to pieces by the accident.
“The pieces floating everywhere in our rivers have decayed and left such an incredible stench,” the monarch said.
He added that the situation made the river, which the children normally used for swimming, scary and potentially dangerous.
“Going close to the river is so scary now for children who usually go swimming when they come back from school, because they see human flesh everywhere while they swim. Even fish are dying everywhere,” he said.
The monarch said the community is particularly concerned because the affected waterway serves as an important source of water for domestic use.
“This same river where the plane crashed is the one that supplies us with drinking water. We have a water treatment plant in Aboto, about seven kilometers from here.
“Water doesn’t arrive every day, and when it arrives, it’s the same water that flows there, pumped to be treated and drinkable.
“So no matter what happens, the pollution is already in the river, either as a result of decaying bodies or oil dropped into the river, and any other pollution that ended up in the water,” he said.
Odidiomo urged authorities to take immediate measures to prevent a possible public health emergency, insisting that the search for victims should be accompanied by measures to protect residents from environmental risks.
He argued that the government could have taken measures to contain the affected area and prevent the suspected pollutants from spreading into the wider waterway.
“We’re asking the government for a cleanup. We’re asking the government for a cleanup, some sort of restoration of the environment,” he said.
The traditional ruler also called for the provision of alternative sources of safe drinking water while authorities investigate the extent of the suspected contamination and determine appropriate remedial measures.
Beyond concerns about water pollution, Odidiomo said the incident has damaged economic trees and affected fish, which residents depend on for their livelihoods.
He called for environmental restoration and other interventions to address the impact of the disaster on the community.
An Igbokoda resident, Benjamin Omoyele, also expressed concern over the possible health implications of the suspected water contamination.
Omoyele, a 100-level civil engineering student at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, said the human remains left in the water have increased fears among residents who depend on the river.
He urged the government to investigate the situation and take urgent measures to protect the community.
However, another resident, Odunsola Dada, popularly known as General, expressed optimism that the waterway would gradually clear up.
Dada argued that the river’s depth and continued flow to the ocean could have contributed to materials being dispersed from the crash site over time.
“We are all human beings and what happened is a tragedy. We will all die in our time too. The water is deep and constantly flowing. It is not a well or a pool.
“Soon everything will flow into the sea and people will be able to use it as before,” he said.
Despite his optimism, concerns raised by the monarch and other residents have placed renewed focus on the need to determine whether the waterway has been contaminated and what measures may be needed to make it safe.
Meanwhile, excavation work continues at the crash site, with additional machinery deployed to assist in the recovery of the remaining parts of the aircraft.
The search operation also shifted focus to the location of the plane’s black box, following a directive from Air Force Chief of Staff Sunday Aneke during his visit to the site last week.
The black box is expected to provide information that could help investigators establish the circumstances of the crash.
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