Tragedy was narrowly averted as a private jet belonging to Nigerian billionaire businessman, Chief Adedeji Adeleke, caught fire during takeoff at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), multiple sources reported to LEADERSHIP on Saturday.
Chief Adeleke, the father of Afrobeat sensation David Adeleke, widely known as Davido, also happens to be the brother of Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
The aircraft involved in the incident is the Bombardier Global Express 6000, used as a family plane by the Adelekes.
The incident took place at MMIA’s domestic wing at approximately 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 5, 2023, just as the jet was preparing to depart from Lagos to Abuja.
Disturbingly, the incident was not promptly reported to the relevant aviation regulatory authorities, a clear deviation from standard protocol, according to LEADERSHIP.
Governor Adeleke and his key aides were reportedly onboard when the incident unfolded.
Witnesses state that the aircraft had taxied to the end of the runway, moments before takeoff, when a deafening explosion emanated from one of the jet’s engines, forcing an immediate cancellation of the takeoff.
Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries reported, and the status of other passengers on board at the time remains uncertain, as per an insider.
Before the incident, the jet had been stationed at the Executive Jet hangar at the airport, before its deployment on September 5.
However, reassuringly, there were no reports of injuries or fatalities stemming from this event.
The report also suggests that airport authorities, the Osun State government, and the owners of the private hangar have been actively trying to keep the news under wraps.
While Governor Adeleke’s aides could not be reached for comment, an anonymous passenger on the plane did confide in LEADERSHIP that the hangar’s operators suspected foul play due to damage to both engines.
Contrary to these suspicions, Sam Iwuajoku, the CEO of Executive Jets, which manages the hangar where the private jet was parked, attributed the incident to Foreign Object Damage (FOD) caused by a bird’s nest in one of the engines.
According to him, “At take-off, the engine had a high temperature, and it was caused by a bird’s nest in one of the engines of the aircraft. It happens 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.”
He further mentioned that a similar incident occurred to one of his aircraft in 2021, resulting in the engine being sent to Germany for repairs.
Meanwhile, sources informed LEADERSHIP that Davido had used the aircraft the day before, on September 4.
Efforts to contact the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) proved unsuccessful, but an undisclosed source informed the newspaper that the incident was not reported to the agency since its Air Worthiness Department was unaware of the situation.
“NCAA isn’t aware of this incident because the Air Worthiness Department is not aware,” the source stated.
