•Vivian Ude
Vivian Ude, a resident of Basa village near Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja has narrated how the ill-fated Nigerian Air Force NAF201, a B350 aircraft came close to their compound after hovering in the air before it crashed.
She explained how she saw human being been roasted immediately the aircraft went up in flames.
Vivian who witnessed the crash recounted the last minutes how the military plane hovered in the air and came close to the roof of their house while the pilot was to stabilise the aircraft.
She said it was a narrow escape for her and other neighbours noting that the plane would have crashed into their house.
She said “ I am not myself because of what i experienced today i have never seen it in my life. It was a tragedy. I witnessed the plane before it crashed . When i came back from church, I went out to buy something only for me to come outside and i saw the plane coming close as if it wanted to land in our compound.
“The pilot was struggling with the plane and doing as if he wanted to land but it will go up again. The plane has not got to the place where they always land before touching the ground.
“I saw the plane going down and at a stage i could not see it again and the next thing i heard was a loud sound with fire and smoke . I was so traumatised because I saw human being burning. I could not eat my lunch because of fear ”
Another resident who was among the first responders, Joseph ThankGod who was 13 years old while narrating the incident to Daily Independent said they thought the plane was performing aerial display which normally carry out by the Nigerian Airforce.
(Daily Independent)