The ill-fated private jet, belonging to Mattini Air, N580KR, which crash-landed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, is over 30 years old and has even been offered for sale, top sources revealed.
The private jet is owned by Chief Felix Chidi Idiga, a Nigerian billionaire businessman, who established several business interests including JAFAC oil and gas, Swat Technology Limited.
“The 30 years old jet N580KR from Jafac (Felix Idiga)/Swat Technology has been has been offered for sale,” a top source revealed to SaharaReporters.
“There is an offer to sell jet N580KR and several other registered jets which have been deregistered; N670JF, N550JF, N605JF,” the source added.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the private jet having about 12 passengers including Very Important Personalities (VIPs) crash-landed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Sources said the type CL-60 jet crash-landed on Friday around 11am at the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport. It was coming in from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The jet which had 12 passengers and three crew members with registration number, N580KR, missed the runway into the nearby bush.
SaharaReporters had on November 4, 2023, reported that a private aircraft, with registration number 5N-AMM, conveying the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu and his entourage, crash-landed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Meanwhile in the latest incident, firefighters and rescue officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) were immediately deployed to the scene. But there was no death or casualty recorded.
“It was a private plane from Abuja. It landed safely but overshot the runway. There was no casualty,” a spokesperson for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Carol Adekotujo, said over the phone.
When contacted, a spokesman for the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, Tunji Oketunmbi, said he would revert but he was yet to do so as of press time.
The rate of aviation incidents in the past few months has been concerning despite the sacking and replacement of heads of aviation agencies.