Thick smoke oozing out of Osinbajo's helicopter forces an emergency landing

A chopper that conveyed Vice President Yemi Osibanjo from the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja, was forced to land few seconds after takeoff on Thursday.

Osinbajo was in the college for the graduation ceremony of Senior Division Course 1/2018 participants.

The chopper had earlier taken the Vice President to the college for the ceremony.

Upon take off, the white chopper with yellow and blue stripes could not ascend beyond the trees level before it emitted thick smoke and landed on the same spots few seconds after take off.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, had already departed from the venue with their respective convoys.



The Vice President later leaves the college by road.

Meanwhile, Laolu Akande, the spokesman for vice president Yemi Osinbajo has explained why his principal had to return to the State House by road.

“VP Osinbajo attended the graduation ceremony of Nigeria Customs Senior Course in Gwagwalada today.

“On his way back, it was decided, for technical reasons, not to fly the chopper that had brought him to the venue. He drove back to the Presidential Villa & continued his schedule,” Akande tweeted.