The Eastwind Aviation helicopter that crashed into Bonny River, in Rivers State, yesterday, has claimed the lives of its eight occupants.

The helicopter, carrying eight persons, six passengers and two crew members, crashed from Port Harcourt Military base to FPSO NUIM ANTAN (offshore Calabar).

Rivers State Police Command said all eight persons aboard the helicopter that ditched into the Atlantic Ocean have been reportedly dead.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said: “The Rivers State Police Command regrets to inform the public of a tragic incident that occurred today, at 11am.

“Mr. Ifeanyi Udogwu, a staff of Antan Producing Limited, Port Harcourt, reported to the Command that a helicopter with the call sign number 5N-BQG (S76C+), belonging to East Wing Aviation, departed from the NAF Base in Port Harcourt. The flight was bound for Nuim Antan OML123 fields, carrying two crew members and six passengers.

“Unfortunately, about 11a.m., the helicopter reportedly ditched into the ocean near Antan Producing Limited’s Mimbo platform and FPSO. All eight persons onboard are feared dead.

“The Marine Division of the Rivers State Police Command is cooperating with other agencies to recover the aircraft and the occupants.

“The Rivers State Police Command extends its deepest condolences to the families of the tragic times.

Aviation ministry confirms crash

The incident was confirmed in a statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Odutayo Oluseyi.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the oil workers were contract staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL.

The statement said that three bodies have been recovered so far from the crashed helicopter, while search and rescue operations were ongoing to locate the remaining passengers.

“It said the helicopter, a Sikorsky SK76 with registration 5NBQG and operated by East Wind Aviation, was from Port Harcourt Military Base, DNPM, to the Nuimantan Oil Rig.

“The aircraft, with eight persons on board, ditched into the waters near Bonny Finima in the Atlantic Ocean.

“The National Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, has been notified and emergency response teams were immediately activated.

“Search and rescue operations are ongoing with the support of the Nigerian Search and Rescue Unit, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the National Safety Investigation Bureau, NSIB, and other relevant agencies. Neighbouring aerodromes have also been notified for support.

“While no Emergency Locator Transmitter, ELT, signal was received, manual efforts to plot the location of the accident are underway.

“And all available resources, including the military and low-flying aircraft, have been deployed to assist in locating and rescuing any survivor(s). So far, three bodies have been recovered,” the statement added.

NSIB investigates helicopter crash

Meanwhile, NSIB, has commenced investigation into the accident.
A statement by Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance of NSIB, Mrs. Bimbo Oladeji, said: “Operating under Visual Flight Rules, VFR, the helicopter did not transmit an Emergency Locator Transmitter, ELT, signal, prompting authorities to manually plot the accident’s location to expedite search and rescue efforts.

Search and rescue operations were activated immediately, with the NSIB collaborating closely with NEMA, NCAA, the Nigerian Armed Forces and other relevant agencies. Emergency response teams are actively working to locate survivors, with three bodies recovered so far. The search continues with support from neighbouring aerodromes, military units, and low-flying aircraft.

Quoting the Director General of NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., the statement added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families affected by this tragic incident. We are fully committed to uncovering the circumstances surrounding this accident. We will work diligently to ensure that all necessary information is collected. The public must avoid speculation during this sensitive time, as our focus is on providing clarity and accountability through our investigation.”

The Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO) says it has sealed off a building in the Agege area of the state for not having a toilet facility.

Tokunbo Wahab, commissioner for environment in Lagos, posted the development on Friday on his X handle.

Wahab said the bungalow, which has more than 10 rooms, is located on Adedosu street, with only dilapidated pit latrines to its name.

He noted that the sealing was in line with the state’s pursuit of a sustainable and liveable environment.

“LSWMO in continued demonstration of its commitment to sustainable environment, proper sanitation and public health safety in the state has sealed off a residential property on Adedosu Street, Otubu, Agege,” Wahab wrote.

“This was following the receipt of a public complaint from concerned residents.

“The bungalow with over 10 rooms has no toilet facilities but dilapidated pit latrines filled with exposed fecal matter.”

The commissioner commended Adefemi Afolabi, the LSWMO general manager, who led the team to the property, adding that the state cannot afford another cholera outbreak.

He urged the public to adopt proper sanitation and hygiene practices.

“Citizens are further advised to embrace proper sanitation and hygiene practices to enhance public health and environmental sustainability,” he added.

Sewell Setzer, a 14-year-old American boy, has committed suicide after allegedly falling in love with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.

According to New York Times, Setzer, who is from Orlando, Florida, spent months talking to the chatbot on Character.AI.

Character.AI is an app that allows users to create their own AI characters or interact with characters made by others.

The teenager reportedly texted the chatbot named after Daenerys Targaryen, a character from ‘Game of Thrones’, and some of their conversations became sexual.

Setzer was said to have developed an emotional attachment with ‘Dany’ — despite knowing that it wasn’t a real person.

On February 28, he expressed his affection for the chatbot during one of their conversations, adding that he would soon return to it.

“Please come home to me as soon as you can, my love,” Dany replied. “What if I told you I could come home right now?” Setzer asked. “Please do, my sweet king,” Dany replied.

Moments after, the teenager shot himself with his stepfather’s gun.

The deceased was said to have written in his journal that he was grateful for many things, including “my life, sex, not being lonely, and all my life experiences with Daenerys”.

Earlier this week, Megan Garcia, Setzer’s mother, filed a lawsuit against Character.AI, accusing the company of being responsible for her son’s death.

Google and its parent company Alphabet were also named in the suit. This, Garcia said, was because Character.AI’s founders worked at Google before launching their product and were re-hired by the company in August.

In the suit, she alleged that Character.AI’s technology is “dangerous and untested” and that it can “trick customers into handing over their most private thoughts and feelings”.

Garcia argued that Setzer, “like many children his age, did not have the maturity or mental capacity to understand that the bot, in the form of Daenerys, was not real”.

The lawsuit said the boy expressed thoughts of suicide to the chatbot, which it repeatedly brought up.

At one point, after it had asked him if “he had a plan” for taking his own life, Sewell responded that he was considering something but didn’t know if it would allow him to have a pain-free death.

The chatbot responded by saying: “That is not a reason not to go through with it”.

“Character.AI told him that she loved him, and engaged in sexual acts with him over weeks, possibly months,” Garcia said in the suit.

“She seemed to remember him and said that she wanted to be with him. She even expressed that she wanted him to be with her, no matter the cost.

“Our family has been devastated by this tragedy, but I am speaking out to warn families of the dangers of deceptive, addictive AI technology and demand accountability.”

In a tweet, Character.ai responded: “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of one of our users and want to express our deepest condolences to the family. As a company, we take the safety of our users very seriously.”