*NSIB deploys remotely operated vehicle, says fourth body recovered
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Chinedu Eze in Lagos
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) yesterday expressed its condolences to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the families of victims, East Wind Aviation, and the entire oil and gas community over the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of eight individuals.
In a statement signed by its Executive Secretary, Dr Ogbonnaya Orji, it described the it as a heartbreaking incident.
The accident involving the East Wind Aviation helicopter with Registration Number 5NBQG, occurred en route the FPSO – NUIMS Antan after taking off from the Port Harcourt NAF Base.
The victims were listed as: Tamunoemi Suku, Alu Lawrence, Etim Emmanuel, Kenneth Chikwem, Frank Oriamre, and Borris Ndorbo, while the Captain was Yakubu Dukas.
“NEITI stands with NNPC and the affected families during this difficult time, sharing in their profound grief. This tragic incident comes while the oil and gas industry is still reeling from the sudden loss of the daughter of the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Mr. Mele Kyari.
“The compounded grief has brought a deep and painful sorrow to an industry that continually sacrifices to meet Nigeria’s energy needs. On behalf of Board, Management and Staff of NEITI and its Board, we extend heartfelt condolences to Mr. Mele Kyari and his family.
“Our prayers and thoughts are with oil and gas industry in Nigeria as they navigate this very challenging period,” NEITI said.
It also acknowledged the efforts of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and other involved agencies as they continue their search and investigation into the accident.
Despite the ongoing efforts to locate the wreckage and the remaining individuals, it said that it remained hopeful that their search yields answers for the families, communities and the industry seeking closure.
“As an institution dedicated to accountability and safety within Nigeria’s extractive industries, NEITI underscores the importance of stringent safety protocols and continuous improvements in industry operations,” it stated .
Also yesterday, the NSIB announced that it would deploy Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) equipped to access depths of up to 1,000 meters of the ocean in search of the remaining bodies and the wreckage of the helicopter which crashed into the waters, off the coast of Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean last Thursday.
“The ROV will enable the NSIB team to conduct detailed surveys, collect environmental data, and capture critical evidence essential to understanding the cause of the incident.
“The ROV’s capacity for close inspections and light manipulation tasks will be invaluable in such deep-water environments, where it will aid in assessing wreckage conditions, gathering vital data, and developing insights into potential causes,” NSIB said in a statement signed by its Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji.
NSIB said that as of 11:55 am on Saturday, divers began setting up and checking equipment to conduct an underwater search and recovery, followed by preliminary sweeping operations at 2:15pm.
However, it said that by 4:30 pm, diving activities were suspended due to the loss of daylight, stating that recovery operations were set to resume yesterday at 9:00am local time.
“Despite extensive search efforts, no wreckage or critical components – such as the black box, Flight Data Recorder (FDR), or Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) – have yet been located due to the challenging conditions of the operating environment, limited visibility at depth and human divers’ operational constraints.
NSIB, in a separate statement yesterday announced that the fourth victim of the helicopter accident had been recovered.
Oladeji, said that at 4:00 pm yesterday, a floating body was retrieved from the water by the Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) and was escorted by the Cameroonian Navy to NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) Antan, for safe transit through their territorial waters.
Later, it said additional vessel arrived at the Antan location and the superintendent convened with the crew to discuss the area survey and diving operations began afterwards.
It said it identified the body by confirming the T-shirt worn matched the description provided, stressing that although it took time, but photographic evidence confirmed the identity as the fourth victim.
“Eastwind Aviation was contacted to arrange an air ambulance for transporting the body tomorrow morning (today), with Eastwind actively coordinating this effort. Antan Security informed the Port Harcourt Marine Police to prepare for receiving the body from the air ambulance,” it said.
NSIB said it is actively collaborating with a joint search, rescue, and recovery team, as well as various supporting agencies.
“These combined efforts are essential for ensuring a thorough and efficient recovery process and for gathering critical evidence to aid the investigation,” the agency said.
The Director General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., the statement said, expressed appreciation for the joint support.
