The Olugbo of Ugboland, Oba Fredrick Akinruntan, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to urgently address pollution in communities affected by the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The monarch said the crash had contaminated water bodies, disrupted fishing activities and exposed residents to worsening air pollution, calling for immediate environmental clean-up to protect public health and restore livelihoods.
The appeal was contained in a statement issued on Friday by his media aide, Sesan Forolagba.
The aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, on October 5, 2026, killing all 25 people on board.
While military efforts to recover the wreckage are ongoing, residents have complained about the offensive odour coming from the crash site. Fishermen in the affected communities have also reported losses following the pollution of the water.
Akinruntan made the appeal when he led other traditional rulers and members of the Olugbo-in-Council to the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda.
“We are making this passionate appeal on behalf of the good people of Ugboland to our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Minister for Environment.
“We urgently need the Federal Government’s immediate attention and assistance to clean up our environment. The water we drink and use for fishing has been tainted while the air pollution is worsening by the day. We need your rescue now,” the monarch said.
He commended the armed forces for their efforts but stressed the need for urgent environmental remediation to safeguard residents and restore economic activities in the coastal communities.
However, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku, said the state government had begun efforts to sanitise the affected areas.
“The efforts are ongoing, the fumigation is going on, we have begun and it would be completed,” he said.
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