A 90-year-old woman, Mrs Olapeju Johnson could not believe how she miraculously escaped death


A 90-year-old woman, Mrs Olapeju Johnson could not believe how she miraculously escaped death yesterday when an helicopter crashed into her compound  at no 16 A Salvation Road, Opebi, Ikeja area of Lagos.

A light helicopter belonging to Quorum Aviation with registration Number 5N-BQW was flying from Port-Harcourt to Lagos when it crashed at about 12.47 p m killing two crew members on the spot while the third crew member who was critically injured and was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) died few hours later.



A visibly shocked occupant of the building where the helicopter crashed into, 90 year-old Mrs Olapeju Johnson (nee Awolesi), who escaped death by whiskers said the helicopter crashed landed between her house and that of her daughter in-law.


However, she thanked God that her family members were safe. She said, ,”the helicopter crashed landed where it was least expected and I was reading my Bible when it occurred.  An helicopter that is supposed to land in a field landed in my compound and my daughter’s compound. Though I cannot state categorically how it happened but I heard a loud sound like that of thunder, then I saw lightening and thick smoke in the air. I didn’t know what was happening, the whole place then went dark. The next think I was expecting was a fire outbreak but Almighty God miraculously averted this and I was rescued alive,” she said.

The crash also affected a Honda Salon car with number plate EPE 04 AL that was parked in the compound as its rear screen was completely damaged.

The incident attracted a mammoth crowd but law enforcement agents were able to control the crowd as the scene was cordoned off. At the scene of the crash, people were wailing and shouting for help. A female sympathiser was seen shouting on top of her voice saying, “you are a policeman, please help, this one is still breathing”.

Another sympathiser a male, was also seen crying for help while emergency responders were busy with the operation.


How it crashed——Residents

Some residents of Salvation Road in Opebi area of Ikeja, Lagos expressed shock over the crash  thanking God for saving their lives. The residents, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the scene of the incident on Friday called for proper maintenance of aircraft before flying.

Mrs Grace Awolaja, a resident said that it was shocking and surprising to experience such an unexpected incident.  According to Awolaja, the helicopter was seen hovering in the sky for some minutes before crashing into the building. “We thank God that nobody was affected in the building but I learnt that the pilot and two other persons on board died,” Awolaja said.

Another resident, Alhaji Saliu Bamidele, suggested that engine seizure might be responsible for the crash. Bamidele said that the helicopter crashed at the back of house No. 16, Salvation Road, damaging two cars and the fence of the building.

Mr Mark Okeke, a fabric shop owner in front of the building, told NAN that the helicopter was cited in the air struggling to crash-land in the canal but “suddenly picked up and faced the building. We just heard loud sound with heavy dust from the house. Many occupants of the building were not at home.

An eye witness Mr. Emede Gab, said he was transacting a business in the area when he noticed the dark atmospheric change but he managed to scamper for safety.

Another eye witness Victor Owoyemi, said he was not aware of the crash until he heard the fire fighters’ alarm and rushed to the scene only to see a mammoth crowd as emergency services had taken off. “My office is a short distance from the scene and I quickly rushed there. Thank God there was no fire outbreak,” he said.

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