Nigeria vice president survives second chopper emergency
Written by Lindah Nduwumwami on February 4, 2019
A helicopter carrying Nigeria’s vice president Yemi Osinbajo crash landed Saturday, an aide said, seven months after he survived another air emergency. Osinbajo had a similar narrow escape in June 2018 when his helicopter suddenly began emitting thick smoke and was forced to make an emergency landing in Abuja seconds after take off.
No-one was injured in Saturday’s incident in north central Kogi state and Osinbajo was able to continue with his engagements afterwards, his spokesman Laolu Akande said in a tweet. Akande did not give further details but posted a picture of the chopper with a damaged propeller lying on its side. Nigeria goes to the polls on February 16 with incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, facing main rival Atiku Abubakar, a wealthy businessman and former vice-president representing the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
