Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has only God to thank as a police force chopper that conveyed him to the graduation ceremony of the Senor Division Course 1/2018 at the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gwagwalada, Abuja, made a forced landing moments after a failed attempt to take off.

The chopper shortly after take-off struggled to gain altitude and was about 15 feet from ground when heavy fumes started coming out of the engine, forcing the pilot to land.  A visibly shaken VP was said to have hurried out of the chopper and made his way back to his office by road. Gwagwalada, the university town, is on the outskirts of Abuja.

Spokesman of the Vice President, Laolu Akande  tweeted : “VP Osinbajo attended the graduation ceremony of Nigeria Customs Senior Course in Gwagwalada today. On his way back it was decided, for technical reasons, not to fly the chopper that had brought him to the venue. He drove back to the Presidential Villa & continued his schedule.”

His tweet did not give details of what happened and what compelled his boss to opt to go by road after his assignment.