Gov Suntai injured in plane crash

The Governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Suntai, was badly injured along with five others in a plane crash in the outskirts of Yola, Adamawa State yesterday. The governor, who was flying a Cessna 208 aircraft himself, crashed close to NNPC depot, as he tried to bring the plane to land at the Yola International Airport, which was still 38 kilometres away. The identities of the other passengers were not revealed at press time.
Both the Taraba State government and the Federal Ministry of Aviation in separate statements confirm the crash, but said the governor and five others on board survived the accident.

A statement from the Ministry of Aviation signed by the Minister's Special Adviser on media Mr Joe Obi said the aircraft, "with people on board including crew, operated by the Taraba State Governor Danbaba Suntai crashed near Yola but no live has been reported lost.

"The aircraft departed Jalingo, Taraba State for Yola yesterday evening and reported contact with the Yola Control Tower (1720Z) and field in sight at 38 miles estimating landing at 1730Z. The pilot subsequently lost contact with Yola Control Tower and subsequent effort to trace the aircraft failed.

"Search & Rescue was immediately activated and site of incident located with all victims alive with various degrees of injuries. The victims have been evacuated to the hospital for treatment pending further investigation of the incident" the statement said.

It is not yet clear the degree of injuries the governor sustained and whether his passengers, likely to be his personal aides, also survived.

Rumours are however going round Jalingo that the governor did not survive the plane crash, in which he was said to have been the pilot.

Earlier, some online publishers also reported that Governor Suntai had died in the crash. The death rumour was strengthened by a tweet posted by Special Assistant to the President on News Media, Reno Omokri, who wrote: "May the soul of the late departed Governor, Danbaba Suntai, of Taraba State rest in peace and may God grant the state peace this trying time." He later deleted the tweet.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Alhaji Umar M.Hassan told Daily Trust on phone last night that though he was yet to get details of the plane crash, the governor was not dead, but sustained injuries.

He said other personal aides of the governor might have been involved in the crash too but could not say how many.

He said a team of top state government officials were heading to Yola to see for themselves and obtain facts about the crash.

A senior government official who preferred not to be named told our reporter that Governor Murtala Nyako was among the first people who arrived at the scene of the crash and supervised the evacuation of Governor Suntain and the other victims to an undisclosed hospital.

Another source, however, told our reporter that the governor and the others were still in comma at the Federal Medical Centre Yola last night and that an air ambulance may be on standby to fly them abroad for treatment.

Dambaba Suntai is known to fly himself around the state capital in a personal helicopter acquired earlier this year. He is also said to have a chopper which he personally flies around the state and to neighbouring states.

The governor is said to have attended training in the Aviation College in Zaria and another flight training school in America. He trained in the US for 6 weeks but he was said to have escaped crash on two occasions after which he was advised to go for more training.

He was said to have attended another two weeks training session in Paris, France.

When President Jonathan visited Taraba last week, Governor Suntai took him round to commission some projects in his pilot's uniform.