NNPC helicopter crash: Tinubu condoles with families and calls for investigation

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Board, its employees, and the families impacted by the recent helicopter disaster off the coast of Bonny Finima in Port-Harcourt have received President Bola Tinubu's sincere sympathies.

Tinubu sent his "deepest sympathies" to the relatives of the deceased in a statement issued on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, reaffirming his support for the parties in mourning.

"President Tinubu Commiserates with the NNPC Board and Families of Victims Onboard the Helicopter in Port-Harcourt" was the statement that carried this information.

After the sad event involving the East Winds Aviation helicopter, registered as 5NBQG, Tinubu ordered a "intensification of search and rescue operations" to find any surviving passengers or evidence.

The helicopter was rented by NNPC Limited, was “ferrying contract staff” to the FPSO—NUIMS ANTAN facility when it crashed into the Atlantic on Thursday.

To ensure comprehensive support, Tinubu has “urged military officers involved in various operations in the zone to join the rescue mission,” ensuring collaboration with the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and other agencies crucial to recovery and investigation efforts.

According to the statement, his directive underscores the government’s dedication to uncovering the full circumstances surrounding the accident and providing closure to those affected.

In his message to the bereaved, Tinubu conveyed, “I fervently pray that the Almighty God will grant eternal rest to the three departed souls and comfort their families,” reflecting the mood in the wake of the incident.
The search team

According to the Rivers State Police Command, two crew members and six passengers were on board a helicopter that crashed Thursday in the Bonny axis of Rivers State.

According to the police, a search team has been launched by the marine division in collaboration with other authorities in an effort to locate the aircraft and its occupants.

In a statement released in Port Harcourt on Thursday evening and distributed to reporters, Grace Iringe-Koko, a spokesman for the state's Police Command, revealed this.

According to a different story, the National Emergency Management Agency, emergency locators, and the military started looking for the helicopter's occupants right away.

The plane carrying Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited employees crashed into the sea, and as of the time this news was filed, no one had survived the ordeal.

In a statement written by the ministry's head of press and public relations, Odutayo Oluseyi, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo also confirmed the regrettable occurrence to our correspondence.