By Oluwatoyin Adegoke
Twenty years after the tragic Bellview Airlines crash that claimed 117 lives at Lisa village in Ifo local government area of Ogun State, the Ifesowapo Consultative Forum ,representing 32 neighbouring communities ,has unveiled plans for a national memorial to honour the victims.
At a strategic meeting of community representatives, the Forum’s Chairman, Dr Fola Abati, said the 20th Memorial Anniversary will feature inter-religious prayers, an aviation safety lecture and outreach to victims’ families,the event will be live-streamed to allow global participation from Nigerians and the diaspora.
Dr Abati who said that the 20th memorial observance will hold on 22 October 2025, described the anniversary as “a call to remember with purpose,” saying the occasion would spotlight both the tragedy and the resilience of Lisa people.
He lamented the neglect of the Lisa Memorial Arcade built after the crash by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Gbenga Daniel, urging government to restore the site and fix the 10.5km Ijoko–Oyero–Lisa access road.
The Chairman also renewed calls for the area to be recognised as a national heritage landmark and developed into an aviation tourism centre.
The Forum applauded Oba Oladele Odugbemi for his leadership and advocacy on security and infrastructure,as well as the Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Mr Ibrahim Isiaka, for facilitating the Awela River flyover project, which had saved lives previously lost to flooding.
