By George Coben, Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has condemned the killing of hunters by suspected bandits in Mansur forest in Duguri/Gwana District of Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Describing the attack as a heinous and senseless act of violence, Governor Mohammed said that it served as a painful reminder of the persistent threat posed by criminal elements attempting to disrupt the peace and security of communities.
The Governor, in a statement by his media aide, Mukhtar Gidado, extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the people of Alkaleri LGA, and the entire people of the state.
Senator Bala Mohammed, who hails from Duguri, Alkaleri LGA, prayed for the repose of the souls of the victims, whom he described as fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price protecting their Communities.
While reaffirming Government’s unwavering commitment to tackling all forms of insecurity across the state, he called on residents to stand united and collaborate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could help prevent future tragedies.
Governor Bala emphasized Government’s on going collaboration with security forces to bring the perpetrators to justice, and assured that no effort would be spared in ensuring that the state remains safe and peaceful for all.
Recall that an earlier statement by the Bauchi State Police Command’s Spokesperson, CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, said that the bandits ambushed the professional hunters who were on a routine patrol along Duguri, Mansur, and Dajin Madam forest bordering Bauchi/Plateau states and the ensuing confrontation resulted in numerous casualties on both sides.
Our correspondent gathered that casualties from the clash allegedly involved 9 vigilante members, 5 bandits, and 11 residents who were among those abducted by the bandits.
It was further gathered that the clash occurred when the vigilante members, on being alerted, pursued a gang of bandits, who had earlier kidnapped 16 villagers and rustled about 50 cattle from a neighbouring village.
When the bandits noticed that the vigilantes were close, they opened fire which was returned by the vigilantes resulting in a gunfight.
NTSB blames pilot error, faulty equipment for crash that killed Wigwe
The United States’ National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded its investigation into the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of Herbert Wigwe, his wife, and their son last year.
According to the final aviation investigation report obtained by Channels Television, the NTSB determined that the probable cause of the crash was the pilot’s decision to continue flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).
This decision, the report stated, led to spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of control by the pilot.
In the report which is coming over a year after the incident, the NTSB also cited inadequate company oversight as a contributing factor. The company, it said, failed to properly manage safety procedures, including ensuring that pilots were accurately completing and updating flight risk analyses, logging maintenance discrepancies, and verifying that the helicopter met Part 135 regulatory requirements before departure.
On February 9, 2024, Herbert Wigwe, former Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Access Holdings Plc, died in a helicopter crash alongside his wife, Doreen; their first son, Chizi; and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group).
The crash, which occurred in California near the Nevada border, involved a helicopter with the registration number N130CZ and claimed the lives of all six people on board.
The investigation report also revealed that during the return flight, the pilot had texted the Director of Maintenance (DOM) regarding an issue with the radar altimeter.
“The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the pilot’s spatial disorientation and loss of control.
“Contributing to the accident was the company’s inadequate oversight of its safety management processes, including ensuring the pilots were accurately completing and updating the flight risk analysis, logging maintenance discrepancies, and ensuring the helicopter met Part 135 regulations before departure.”
The reported added that, ” During the return flight, the pilot texted the director of maintenance (DOM) about the issue. After arriving at the company’s flight operations base, the pilot discussed the issue with the company flight follower (who was also the company’s president).
“According to the flight follower, who also held operational control of the charter flight, during the discussions he told the pilot that the flight could not depart if the radar altimeter was not functioning. A company mechanic performed some troubleshooting on the radar altimeter; however, he was unable to rectify the issue and the radar altimeter remained non- functional.
“The mechanic reported that the pilots and the DOM were aware that the radar altimeter was not functioning, yet they departed at 1822 on the positioning flight to pick up the passengers.
“About 40 minutes later, the positioning flight landed at the airport to pick up the charter passengers. After arrival, the pilot and flight follower had a phone conversation and exchanged text messages, but they did not discuss the status of the radar altimeter or weather conditions.
“The accident leg departure was delayed about 50 minutes due to a passenger’s lost passport. A review of surveillance video at the fixed-based operator showed the pilots in the lobby using their cellphones; it is not known if the pilots checked the weather on their cellphones during that departure delay.
“In addition, the pilot did not complete an update to the FRA (which was internet accessible) while waiting at the airport. There was no evidence that the radar altimeter began functioning normally before the accident flight.”