Yahaya Bello Warned Osinbajo Against Visiting Kabba, Ojudu Recalls 2019 Helicopter Crash

Former presidential aide Babafemi Ojudu has revisited the 2019 helicopter crash involving former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, revealing that ex-Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello had warned against the trip to Kabba, citing alleged spiritual dangers in the area.

In a Facebook post titled “My Helicopter Crash Experience”, Ojudu, who served as Special Adviser on Political Matters to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, recounted the harrowing incident and the unusual circumstances surrounding it. The crash occurred during a campaign visit to Kabba, Kogi State, on February 2, 2019, and involved a Caverton helicopter carrying Osinbajo, Ojudu, Minister of State for Labour Stephen Ochei, Media Adviser Laolu Akande, Femi Osinbajo, and three security operatives.

Ojudu said the former governor had expressed strong opposition to the visit, claiming that the people of Kabba possessed “spiritual powers” and might harm visitors, including himself. According to Ojudu, Bello refused to accompany the delegation or even visit the crash site afterwards. “He refused to receive us — and true to his word, stayed away. Even when news of the crash broke, he didn’t come,” Ojudu wrote.

Describing the events of that day, Ojudu detailed how two helicopters were deployed for the visit — one operated by the Nigeria Police for the advance team, and another Caverton chopper that carried the Vice President and other senior aides. “Protocol required that the advance chopper land first, kicking up the dust. Then the second waits for the dust to settle before descending,” he explained.

However, the second helicopter began its descent prematurely, while dust still clouded the landing area. “Suddenly, a brown cloud enveloped everything. We could see nothing. And then — a loud, terrifying thud,” Ojudu recalled. The impact tossed passengers around violently despite their seatbelts, causing chaos and panic in the cabin. “Phones, iPads, caps — all went flying. Panic filled the air. ‘Jesus! Jesus!’ voices cried out in chaos. I shouted, ‘Calm down! Calm down!’ trying to hold it together,” he wrote.

The incident, though later attributed to pilot error and a breach of company procedure, sparked speculation at the time, with some suggesting possible political sabotage. Ojudu’s account adds a new layer to the narrative, shedding light on internal warnings and alleged spiritual concerns raised prior to the crash.

The recollection comes in the wake of another tragic helicopter crash in Ghana’s Ashanti region, which claimed the lives of two ministers and six others — prompting Ojudu to reflect on the near-death experience that, as he put it, almost saw “the sky swallow us.”