Communities Demand Renewed Development on 20th Anniversary of Bellview Plane Crash

 A coalition of communities in Ogun State has announced plans for a national memorial to mark the 20th anniversary of the Bellview Airlines crash, using the occasion to call for urgent government action to restore neglected infrastructure pledged after the tragedy.

The Ifesowapo Consultative Forum, representing 32 communities in the Lisa area, will hold the commemoration on October 22. The event will honour the 117 lives lost in the October 22, 2005, crash with inter-religious prayers, an aviation safety lecture, and outreach to victims’ families. The ceremony will be live-streamed to allow a global audience to participate.

Forum Chairman, Dr. Fola Abati, stated that the anniversary is not just about remembrance but also a catalyst for progress. “We owe it to the victims to ensure that Lisa is not remembered only for tragedy, but for resilience and renewal,” he said.

The memorial will spotlight the deteriorated state of key infrastructure built after the crash. Dr. Abati highlighted the decaying Lisa Memorial Arcade and the dilapidated 10.5-kilometre Ijoko-Oyero-Lisa road, urging government intervention. Restoring the arcade, he argued, would honour the dead with dignity, while fixing the road would ease the daily commute for thousands traveling between Ogun and Lagos States.

The Forum also advocates for the site to be designated a national heritage landmark and for the establishment of a long-promised aviation tourism centre.

Amidst these calls, the group acknowledged positive developments, praising Federal Lawmaker Hon. Ibrahim Ayokunle Isiaka for a flyover bridge that has mitigated fatal flooding in the Awela River area. They also commended His Royal Majesty, Oba Oladele Odugbemi, for his sustained leadership in advocating for the region’s security and infrastructure needs.