Nigerian picked by chopper on Ore road ‘suffered stroke’

The Nigerian man who was picked up by a helicopter in a highway gridlock en route to Lagos had “suffered a stroke”, according to new findings.

TheCable earlier reported how a video surfaced on social media platforms, where an unidentified passenger made a chopper land in the middle of a highway, after having been stuck alongside others in a traffic between Benin and Ore.

When the now-viral video took over the internet, it generated mixed feelings and differing interpretations as many had claimed that the helicopter was rescuing the girlfriend of a billionaire from the “two-hour long” gridlock.

Others were of the opinion that it was a billionaire that was being lifted away from the traffic jam.

BBC is now reporting that the company that owns the chopper said the passenger had suffered a stroke — a development which necessitated the emergency landing.

“It is normal to respond to emergency calls,” it added.

In response to the multiple questions raised, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had confirmed that it was aware of the incident.

The NCAA also said that the chopper had to “land in an unscheduled diversion to pick up someone.”

“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is fully aware of the viral video of the Helicopter that landed on the highway. Initial reports indicate that the Helicopter is owned by Tropical Arctic Logistics Ltd,” it said in a press release.

“With registration number 5N – BVQ and aircraft type AW139, the pilot was compelled to land between Benin and Ore in an unscheduled diversion to pick up someone.

“NCAA has commenced a full-scale investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the unscheduled diversion. As soon as the investigation is concluded, the outcome will be made public.”