Governor Adeleke and his aides Escape Air Crash when their private jet caught fire (Watch)
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and his aides reportedly had a narrow escape from an aviation mishap when the private jet they were about to board caught fire just before takeoff.
On Tuesday, September 5, 2023, a Bombardier Global Express 6000, owned by billionaire businessman Chief Adedeji Adeleke (father of the popular singer Davido and brother of Governor Ademola Adeleke), caught fire at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, just moments before it was scheduled to depart for Abuja.
The incident took place at the domestic wing of the airport at around 9 a.m. as the jet, with Governor Adeleke and his team on board, had taxied to the end of the runway in preparation for takeoff. A sudden loud explosion emanated from one of the jet’s engines, prompting an immediate abort of the takeoff.
Prior to the scheduled departure, the private jet had been parked in the Executive Jet hangar at the airport, as reported. Sam Iwuajoku, the CEO of Executive Jets, which owns the hangar, explained that the incident resulted from Foreign Object Damage (FOD) caused by a bird’s nest inside one of the aircraft’s engines. He stated, “At takeoff, the engine had high temperature and it was caused by a 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.”
Iwuajoku noted that such incidents were not uncommon in Africa due to the presence of birds around airports, recounting a similar event with one of his aircraft in 2021, which required the engine to be removed and sent to Germany for repairs.
Thankfully, the quick response prevented a tragic outcome for Governor Adeleke and his aides.