Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state and his aides reportedly survived an aircraft crash after the private jet they had boarded, caught fire just before take off.
According to a report by Leadership, by a stroke of luck, on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, a Bombadier Global Express 6000, owned by billionaire businessman, Chief Adedeji Adeleke, caught fire at take-off point at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Chief Adeleke is the father of singer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido and is also the brother of Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke.
The fire incident reportedly occured at the domestic wing of the Airport at about 9am on the said date when the jet was about to take off from Lagos to Abuja.
The report stated that the jet with Governor Adeleke and his aides on board, had taxied to the end of the runway shortly before departure when a loud explosion was heard from the engine of the jet, causing it to abort take-off immediately.
Before the planned takeoff, the jet had been parked at the Executive Jet hanger of the Airport, the report added.
Sam Iwuajoku, the chief executive officer (CEO), Executive Jets, owners of the hangar where the private jet was parked, disclosed that the Chief Adeleke’s private jet had Foreign Object Damage (FOD) that made the aircraft experience high temperature, which resulted in the explosion.
“At take-off, the engine had high temperature and it was caused by bird nest in one of the engines of the aircraft. It happened when an aircraft is parked and not properly covered so, birds will build their nest and anything they bring into the aircraft can spark high temperature.” Sam Iwuajoku told the publication
It happened to one of my aircraft in 2021, we had to remove the engine and the engine was in Germany for 14 months. So, it’s a common thing in Africa because we have birds around,” he stated.