…after Ex-gov Bello warned Osinbajo against visiting Kabba – Ojudu
Former presidential aide Babafemi Ojudu has revealed that ex-Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello warned then-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo against visiting Kabba ahead of a 2019 political campaign trip that ended in a helicopter crash.
Osinbajoâs chopper crash-landed in Kabba during the campaign season, an incident later blamed on the pilot’s failure to follow proper landing procedures.
At the time, the crash stirred nationwide controversy, with speculation of political sabotage.
Speaking in response to a recent fatal helicopter crash in Ghanaâs Ashanti region, Ojudu said Bello had expressed concern that Kabba natives possessed âspiritual powersâ and could harm Osinbajo if he visited the area.
According to Ojudu, Bello reportedly refused to visit the crash site after the incident and insisted that Osinbajo’s team meet him at his residence in Okene instead.
The disclosure adds a new dimension to the 2019 incident, which had already sparked widespread political and public debate.
In a post on his Facebook page, tagged âMy Helicopter Crash Experienceâ, Ojudu wrote: âI remembered February 2, 2019 â the day the sky almost swallowed us.â
âDespite being in government, many of us paid for our own hotels, logistics, even our food. (More on that in my memoir.)
âThat day, we were to land in Kabba, Kogi State â a town the state governor had warned us against visiting. He claimed the people there had âspiritual powersâ and might harm him if he stepped foot in their domain.
âWe travelled in two helicopters: one belonging to the Nigeria Police, carrying the advance team, and the other â a Caverton chopper â carrying the Vice President, myself, Minister of State for Labour Stephen Ochei, Femi Osinbajo, Media Adviser Laolu Akande, and three security operatives.
âThen the second waits for the dust to settle before descending. That afternoon, something went wrong. The dust hadnât cleared, yet our chopper began its descent. Suddenly, a brown cloud enveloped everything. We could see nothing. And then â a loud, terrifying thud.
âThe impact jolted us violently. Despite our seatbelts, we were tossed around like rag dolls. Phones, iPads, caps â all went flying. Panic filled the air. âJesus! Jesus!â voices cried out in chaos. I shouted, âCalm down! Calm down!â trying to hold it together.
âDespite being in government, many of us paid for our own hotels, logistics, even our food. (More on that in my memoir.)
âThat day, we were to land in Kabba, Kogi State â a town the state governor had warned us against visiting. He claimed the people there had âspiritual powersâ and might harm him if he stepped foot in their domain. He refused to receive us â and true to his word, stayed away. Even when news of the crash broke, he didnât come.
âWe travelled in two helicopters: one belonging to the Nigeria Police, carrying the advance team, and the other â a Caverton chopper â carrying the Vice President, myself, Minister of State for Labour Stephen Ochei, Femi Osinbajo, Media Adviser Laolu Akande, and three security operatives.
âProtocol required that the advance chopper land first, kicking up the dust. Then the second waits for the dust to settle before descending. That afternoon, something went wrong. The dust hadnât cleared, yet our chopper began its descent. Suddenly, a brown cloud enveloped everything. We could see nothing. And then â a loud, terrifying thud.
âThe impact jolted us violently. Despite our seatbelts, we were tossed around like rag dolls. Phones, iPads, caps â all went flying. Panic filled the air. âJesus! Jesus!â voices cried out in chaos. I shouted, âCalm down! Calm down!â trying to hold it together.
“The weight of the Minister was crushing the Vice Presidentâs legs; I heard him groan in pain. It felt like time had frozen, and yet everything was moving too fast.
“Then we heard hacking sounds â security men smashing open the doors. One by one, we were pulled out, covered in dust but alive. I was the last to exit. As I crawled out, I scooped up the Vice Presidentâs cap, his phone, his iPad â and mine. The helicopter, tilted and bruised, hadnât exploded. We were spared.”
Source: Facebook | Ojudu Babafemi
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