The crash occurred in a swampy location near Okoroba community in Nembe local government area of the state.
It was gathered that the chopper was headed to Port Harcourt after attending the burial ceremony of the father of President Jonathan’s aide, Mr. Oronto Douglas.
A statement by the Nigerian Navy confirming the incident and signed by the Director of Information; Commodre Kabiru Aliyu, says that the crash of the Augusta Helicopter (Helo 07) occurred at about 3.30 pm.
A statement by the Kaduna State Government has also confirmed the death of Gov. Patrick Yakowa in the crash.
A statement issued in Kaduna by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Samaila Yakawada said burial arrangements would be announced later.
Before the announcement, members of the state executive council, top government officials and religious leaders had met at the Government House after which they met with the wife of the deceased, Amina Yakowa in their official residence.
His last official assignment was on Friday when he inspected the ongoing conversion of the Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital to a Medical School for medical students of Kaduna State University.
Gen Azazi's last public appearance before the crash was at the Christopher Kolade annual lecture in Lagos on Thursday.
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| Governor Yakowa at the burial, some hours before the crash |
Yakowa was born in 1948 at Fadan Kagoma in Jema'a Local Government Area of Kaduna State and had his primary education at St Paul's Primary School in Fadan Kagoma and Magamiya between 1956 and 1961.
He moved to St Mary's Secondary School, Fadan Kaje in 1962, where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate (WASC) in 1966 and St John's College, Kaduna in 1968 for his Higher School Certificate.
Yakowa was at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained his first degree in 1972 and a Masters Degree in Public Administration in 1978.
He was also at the University of Ife in 1973 for a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration.
The deceased began his public service career as Administrative Officer with the North Central Government in 1972 and rose through the ranks to become Permanent Secretary in the Kaduna State Civil Service between 1988 and 1990.
Yakowa was a commissioner in the Kaduna State Executive Council between 1994 and 1997.
He joined the Federal Civil Service in 1990 where he served in the Ecological Office, the Ministry of Defence and that of Solid Minerals Development, before becoming Permanent Secretary, Federal Civil Service Commission.
He was a member of the National Intelligence Committee before moving back to Kaduna as Secretary to the Kaduna State Government between 2003 and 2005.
In 2005 he became the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State and in 2010 became the substantive Governor when the then governor, Alhaji Namadi Sambo was made the Vice President of Nigeria.
He is survived by his wife Amina Yakowa and four children.
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