2006 Air Force airplane crash : Remembering 13 Military heroes

On Sunday the seventeenth of September, 2006, Airforce airplane, Dornier 228 had a deadly crash on Mbakunu hills in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State that killed 13 prime army officers. The airplane took off from Abuja that morning to Obudu Ranch for a retreat, solely 5 (5) folks survived the crash. The interval was a second of mourning and grief for the fast households and Nigerians. The demise of the army officers on Mbakunu hills , a Tiv settlement is so painful.
Brigadier Mohammed Babakolo Bawa one of many victims from Niger State was Chairman attitudinal change implementation committee within the military. When his father died in 1985, he took the management of the household and educated 21 of his brothers .

His brother, Mohammed Tuga Bawa in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, September 24, 2006, mentioned “my brother, General Bawa had 4 (4) wives and 9 (9) kids. He did every thing to unite the household and ensured that we stay as one. Anything that was able to bringing discord and acrimony, he shortly moved like the military officer he was to resolve the issue. General Bawa’s 80 yr outdated mom got here all the best way from Kutigi to Abuja and prayed for her son earlier than the stays was lowered to the grave.

In Ikinyiwa, dwelling of one of many victims, Major General Joseph Olutayo Agboola ( army secretary ), an Iroko tree has fallen. All retailers within the city have been closed in his honor. The Royal father of Ikinyiwa in October that yr was to personal a automobile promised to him by Major Agboola. The dream was shattered with the demise of Agboola who was described as a pillar of improvement in the neighborhood.

The Akinyinwa of Ikinyiwa Ijesaland Oba James Oluyide Adeyemi was having intra hassle. Sunday Vanguard Quoted the royal father in an interview saying “My illustrious subject the deceased promised me a car in October, now I can’t even get a tyre. This is a shattered hope. When we heard of a military plane crash, the community never thought that our own General Tayo Agboola was a victim. He was the rising star of our generation. He was the star we looked up to, now our star has fallen.”

For a number of minutes, the monarch couldn’t utter a phrase. He gazed into the ceiling within the palace and have become like any person in a trance.

Later, he mentioned: “My people are mourning. You can see that my domain is sad with the incident that has cost us our very best. Where do we go from here? This is a sad episode in our life as a people and community.”

The royal father’s account was the identical of the grieving second in all of the communities of the fallen heroes. Edo state was the worst hit because it misplaced 4 (4) promising younger army officers within the crash.

By 8.45am, twenty first September 2006, the our bodies of Wing Commander Solomon Balogun, Wing Commander E.O. Adekunle. Lt. Col. N.A. Mohammed, Brigdier-General M.B Bawa, Brigadier-General Briamah and Major-General J.O. Agboola have been dropped at the National Cemetry for interment.

Others have been Major-General B. Duniya, Major-General J.T.U. Amedu, Major-General P.M. Haruna, Major-General S.M. Lemu, Major-General S.O. Otubu, Major-General A.N. Bamali and Major-General J.O. Adesunloye. Brigadier-General Mohammed Yekini, the Director of Islamic Affairs of the Nigeria military, at 10:06am, led the Moslem prayer for the repose of the souls of the fallen heroes.

Former President Ibrahim Babangida, his spouse, Maryam, President of Sierra Leone, Tejan Kabbah, former Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, consultant of Mali Government, Ghana Military officers have been on the funeral rites. Senate President Ken Nnamani led members of the higher chamber and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari to the funeral ceremony and bid farewell to the fallen compatriots.

At 1:18pm, the ultimate interment and gun salutes have been carried out and 1:32pm, the nationwide anthem dropped at an finish the burial of the promising generals who would have contributed to the greatness of the nation.

General Nuhu Angbazo is a home maintain title in Nigeria and past, not as a result of he’s a retired General or Governorship candidate for one of many political events in Nasarawa State for 2027 normal elections. The grace of God, His goodness, mercies and compassion illuminates his life.

The General was among the many 5 (5) survivors of the Plane crash. The General, by the grace of God additionally survived a deadly street accident alongside Keffi-Abuja street. In a nicely attended thanks giving service held at ECWA Church Nasarawa Eggon on 1st April , 2007, the chief celebrant General Angbazo sang “ I’ve seen the Lord’s goodness, His mercies and compassion…’’.

He advised a moved to pity testimony that demonstrated God has the ultimate say over life and demise .

“I sustained 50% burns of my physique , damaged ribs , ruptured spleen and liver , amongst a protracted listing of different accidents . For days I hovered between life and demise with an eventual lack of my proper leg under the knee. Survival appeared subsequent to inconceivable, however God intervened . I step by step regained consciousness , started respiration and not using a ventilator and greater than 5 surgical procedures later, on my left leg . I began studying stroll once more – child steps for a as soon as match soldier’’.

‘’The 13 weeks of in-patient hospital care have been the longest of my 40 years on earth, however my residing via all that is one in every of God’s many miracles. Despite the percentages stacked in opposition to me was by no means faraway from God’s protecting hand. The hand of the Lord was a lot in lots of issues from September seventeenth that simply didn’t occur due to likelihood, luck or destiny. Discovery of the crash website by 14 yr outdated Detimbir Chia. Timely medical care, evacuation to South Africa for skilled medical care . Early detection of a blood clot that would have had disastrous penalties . Nothing escapes God’s discover , not even the circumstances in your life, whether or not monumental or mundane. Most of us can solely think about such scenes , however nonetheless everybody ultimately faces the fact of feeling as if life is spinning uncontrolled.

‘’During the time shortly after the crash as I drifted out and in of consciousness , I had a trance –like imaginative and prescient. I keep in mind seeing myself on a mountain –wanting throughout I noticed one more hillside with such magnificence that phrases can’t adequately describe. A more in-depth look revealed a deep abyss separating me from that superb website. I may see folks of various ages , some merely strolling throughout with relative ease whereas some coming from with all of the power and velocity they may muster however but not making it to the opposite facet. I can nonetheless vividly hear their terror stricken screams because it slowly disappeared into the deep abyss .

Then that voice asking ‘’ what about you Nuhu?

‘’ I now ask you ……what about you? If you have been there , would you’ve made it to the opposite facet? Your life could also be morally clear, chances are you’ll be residing a life that’s spectacular to others however you might be gentle years from being righteous earlier than God, till you’ve surrendered your life to Christ alone, by religion alone , you might be misplaced’’.

The Bible textual content for the service have been rigorously chosen Psalm 116; 3-14, Congregational Hymn SS&S 23 (To God be the glory Great issues He has performed) Second Congregational Hymn SS&S 530 ( With my savior ever close to to information me).

“Imagine….think about the deafening sound of a loud thunderous bang with repeated violent shuddering of the airplane, the horrifying sounds of crunching and destruction because the airplane skids to a sudden cease. Then , an engulfing eerie silence with the airplane’s carcass mendacity in items throughout you.

‘’Imagine having your ideas immediately flip to your family members and considering ‘’ I’ll by no means see them once more ….’’ Then , the harrowing second of ready in immense ache to cross from life to demise or one way or the other survive’’

‘’Now, think about listening to a transparent distinct authoritative voice assuring you that His presence was there with you, lovingly telling you ‘I am not through with you yet my son.’

‘’In the extreme moments after this dreadful incident that claimed the lives of 13 prime army officers however miraculously spared 5 others, amongst whom was my humble self – Lt. Col. Nuhu E. Angbazo ‘’.

Sunday Vanguard of September 24, 2006 (web page 17) described Mbakunu, the village on whose hills the crash occurred “Mbakunu appears to be a world out of this world. Cut out of almost the entire state because of the deplorable state of the road. Apart from a secondary school founded in the early eighties (80s) by the state government, there is complete absence of modern facilities in the community. Most of the inhabitants of the conical shaped thatch houses are either illiterates or products of an attempted schooling.”

The above description put a thought in thoughts, will something good come out of Mbakunu?

Detimbir Chia, 14 yr outdated boy who situated the crash website is from the village. The bravery he displayed saved the lives of 5 (5) distressed troopers.

The final within the household of 9 (9), twenty (20) years in the past, Chia was a kind two junior secondary faculty scholar who had the ambition of being a soldier and right this moment that dream has been fulfilled as a captain within the Nigerian Military.

Answering questions from

journalists Detimbir mentioned, “if there was available medical facilities in the community, even the people who died later would have been saved because they were well enough when we got there almost four hours after the crash. While we mourn these people, I call on the state government and even the Nigerian army to set up clinics and even better school for my people here”.

He advised Sunday Vanguard: “I want to be a soldier when I finish secondary school. When I saw that the people who were involved in the crash were soldiers, I became more determined to help them because I felt that helping people who were in distress in the nearest future would be my colleagues.”

Sunday Vanguard requested Detimbir why he was not afraid after seeing a number of useless our bodies and such a gory sight, he answered: ‘I was not afraid because I felt that as human beings, we should be our brothers’ keeper. Moreover, they have been in obvious pains and I felt that the one solution to display what I’ve learnt within the Church was to help them by bringing them out”

Indeed, how time flies.