Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has marked one year of surviving the 2019 helicopter crash with a thanksgiving service at the Aso Villa Chapel on Sunday in Abuja.
Osinbajo, on Feb. 2, 2019, came out unhurt alongside 11 other persons in a helicopter crash at Kabba, Kogi State, while campaigning for the 2019 general election.
The vice president was joined at the thanksgiving by his wife, Dolapo, family members and his aides, including some of those who were with him during the crash.
Osinbajo, who spoke with State House correspondents after the service, said it was an awesome and incredible deliverance.
“I think that what happened on that occasion was so amazing; so miraculous; 12 of us in a helicopter; the helicopter crashed and not one scratch on anyone of us.
“That’s just incredible; so, we can only continue to thank God and to praise the Lord Jesus Christ for an awesome deliverance of so many of us; so, we just keep thanking God.
“That’s why we are here this morning to just praise God.”
He said the survival of all the people in the helicopter crash demonstrated God’s mercy and had strengthened his faith in God and in Nigeria.
“Can you imagine a situation where you survived a helicopter crash? I think it demonstrates that God is merciful; God is awesome; he is able to do all things.
“I think it just strengthened my faith and the faith of all those who were there,” he said.
On his part, the Chaplain of the Aso Villa Chapel, Rev. Seyi Malomo, said the incident was a miracle for Nigeria.
According to Malomo, it is not just a miracle for the vice president alone; it is for the President and for every Nigerian.
Malomo said that thanksgiving was an injunction in all faiths and was necessary when God did something that defied human understanding.
“When God has done something great for you, it is just necessary to say thank you to God.
“We all know that is part of our culture.
“All faiths, all religion; thank you is part of our language, but when what he did is even beyond imagination—12 people in an aircraft, no scratch, it could only be God,” he said.
It would be recalled that during the election campaign period, the Vice President had departed Abuja on February 2nd, 2019, on a Chopper ride to Kogi State in continuation of the Family Chats & Next Level engagements.
Twelve persons – including the VP, the then Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Productivity, Prof. Stephen Ocheni, senior presidential aides, security officials and the crew – were on board the chopper on that day. Everyone on board came out unscathed after the incident, and the Vice President had continued with the planned engagements in Kogi State.
The VP, while thanking all Nigerians, had also stated: “We believe that God will continue to keep us and Nigeria safe even as we go higher… God has kept us safe and alive, delivered us from death so we can do more for our people and country.”
