“Our great Party is shocked beyond imagination and no words can adequately give expression to the depth of our grief. What a colossal loss,” party’s spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, said in a statement. “The nation has lost a great patriot who in about two years in saddle as the Governor of Kaduna State demonstrated an unyielding capacity in wielding together varying fragile interests. He rendered quality stewardship to his people. Even in the face of daunting security challenges, nothing came close to compromising his iron cast resolve and faith that the phase must certainly pass. It is unfortunate that the nation has lost him at this critical curve in our national history.”
“On behalf of the National Executive Committee and other members of the PDP, the National Chairman of our great Party, Dr. Bamanga Tukur wishes to condole with the government and the people of Kaduna State as well as the family of late Governor Yakowa on this very painful loss. Your tear is our broken heart!”
“We wish to also send our heartfelt condolence to the family of General Azazi as well as to the families of other Nigerians involved in the unfortunate crash. We beseech God to give them the strength to withstand this harshest sting of the painful loss of dear ones,” the statement added.
Corpses taken to morgue
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said it has confirmed that conclusion of the search and rescue operation.
“The operation, which involved collaborations of response agencies and volunteers, led to the recovery of the bodies of the six passengers on-board the the helicopter.
“While the bodies have been deposited in the mortuary, further details on the victims will soon be announced after their families have been formally informed,” a statement from NEMA said.
Navy confirms crash
The Nigerian Navy earlier issued a statement saying one of its patrol helicopters crashed around 3:30pm in Bayelsa state.
The statement signed by the Director of Information Commodore Kabir Aliyu said the chopper was conveying important personalities when it crashed but did not state the casualty figure or their identities.
It said, “A Nigerian Navy Agusta helicopter (Helo 07) crashed today Saturday 15 December 2012 at about 3:30pm around Nembe-Okoroba area in Bayelsa State. The helicopter was conveying some VIPs to Port Harcourt from Okoroba Village also in Bayelsa State.”
The Kaduna state government is yet to issue an official statement on the death.
The Development of the STORY:
Governor Yakowa and Mr. Azazi, a retired military general who served as chief security adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, were among passengers in the ill-fated helicopter.
Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) had earlier indicated that the agency had activated a search for a crashed helicopter.
The crashed helicopter was one of several helicopters that some well-connected people to the funeral.
Others in the ill-fated crash: a top politician in Kaduna Dudas Tsoho, Azazi’s orderly, former national security advisers NSA, General Owoye Azazi were said to be in the naval aircraft at the time of the crash, the pilot and his co-pilot were said to be on board the helicopter when it crashed.
The crash comes on the heels of a plane crash on October 25, 2012 that has left Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State brain-damaged. Mr. Suntai was moved to a hospital in Germany where he remains in poor shape, unable to recognize his visitors or to speak.
EYEWITNESS RECALLS: Eyewitnesses are quoted as having said the helicopter was sighted in the sky wobbling before the fatal crash. The time of the crash was estimated to be 3.30pm.
The former Chairman of the Okoroba Community Development Committee (CDC), Comrade Hitler Adunion, who witnessed the incident, says that the helicopter nosedived into the forest and burst into flames.
Adunion said: “We sighted the chopper wobbling and crash-landed. By the time we got to the scene, it was in flames. We tried to put out the flame but it was difficult. We saw the roasted bodies of those inside.”