Yakowa, Azazi, four others killed in Navy Helicopter crash in Bayelsa State

Patrick Yakowa, Kaduna State Governor, Andrew Owoye Azazi, former National Security Adviser (NSA) and four others were on Saturday afternoon, killed in an Augusta Helicopter crash in the Nembe-Okoroba area of Bayelsa State.

It was learnt that all the six occupants of the Helicopter did. Governor Yakowa’s special adviser, Dauda Tsoho and Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal who was Azazi bodyguard as well as two naval pilots, Commander Muritala Mohammed Daba and Lt. Adeyemi O. Sowole also did in the crash.

Also, Commodore Kabir Aliyu of the Nigerian Navy disclosed that a Navy’s Agusta helicopter crashed. Reports say the helicopter was conveying some VIPs to Port Harcourt from Okoroba Village also in Bayelsa State when it crashed.

Meanwhile, the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB,)at the Lagos airport said it will not b able to comment on the matter since it involved a Naval Helicopter.

Tunji Oketunbi, AIB spokesman said: please be informed that the crashed helicopter is a Naval aircraft. AIB investigates only civil aircraft accidents". - BusinessDayOnline

SABOTAGE has been ruled out of the Auguta Westland helicopter which crashed in Bayelsa on December 15, 2012, killing former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Andrew Azazi and former Kaduna State governor, Mr Patrick Yakowa.

This was disclosed in an interim report by a team of the Accident Investigation Board (AIB), constituted by the Nigerian Air Force, at the instance of the Nigerian Navy, to ascertain the cause of the crash involving the Nigerian Navy Agusta helicopter which occurred on December 15, 2012.

The report, which was submitted to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba, at the Naval Headquarters, on Thursday, showed human and material error as the cause of the fatal crash.

The investigation was conducted by aviation experts, in collaboration with the manufacturers, Agusta Westland, as it revealed that the cause of the crash could be human error, material failure or a combination of both. Nigerian Tribune