But for the professionalism of the rescue team that attended to the helicopter crash involving Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his entourage in Kabba, Kogi State, there might have been casualty or injury.
This was made known on Sunday by the Commissioner of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), probing the cause(s) of the crash, Akin Olateru.
Olateru made this known in a statement he issued just as he declared that the cause(s) of the crash would be made known in a matter of days.
His words: “I will like to appreciate the professionalism of the rescue team, without whose effort there may have been recorded casualty and/or injury.”
He spoke about the readiness of the investigation bureau to get to the root of the matter, saying it had the mandate to do so.
According to him, the bureau would be very thorough in its probe and give a detailed account of everything, adding that there was no need for speculation as to the cause(s) of the crash.
Said he: “Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), the agency of government created under the Civil Aviation Act 2006 with a clear mandate to investigate air accidents and serious incidents has commenced investigation into this accident.
“I am assuring the entire public that this investigation will be detailed, thorough and timely.
“Accident Investigation is NOT to apportion blame, it is about FACT FINDING and making safety recommendations with a view to preventing future occurrences.
“I would like to enjoin the press and the public please to respect the privacy of the people involved and NOT to preempt the cause of the accident.
“AIB will release the preliminary report which will include factual information about the accident in a matter of days.”
He said the investigating agency would welcome the assistance of the public in its investigation.
“We want the public to know that we would be amenable to receiving any video clip(s), relevant evidence, or information any member of the public may have of the accident; that can assist us with this investigation,” he said.
