Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, yesterday faulted the Senate claim that the agency is keeping the reports of investigation into air crashes in the country from the public, describing the claim as untrue.

A senator had during plenary, last Tuesday, said the investigative reports on Sosoliso crash of 2005, Bellview crash of 2005, ADC crash of 2006 and Dana crash of 2012 were yet to be in the public domain. But AIB said that the reports in question, like many others, were on the AIBs website.

According to Tunji Oketunbi, Head, Public Affairs, AIB, "the attention of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has been drawn to a report that the Senate on Tuesday condemned the Accident Investigation Bureau for keeping the reports of investigation into air crashes in the country from the public.

"The upper chamber subsequently mandated its Committee on Aviation to thoroughly investigate the remote and immediate causes of the trend and report its findings to the Senate within two weeks.

"The distinguished senator that raised the matter before the Senate alluded to the reports on Sosoliso crash of 2005, Bellview crash of 2005, ADC crash of 2006 and DANA crash of 2012 as major reports that were yet to be in the public domain.

"Accident Investigation Bureau holds the Senate and the distinguished senators in high regard and would not want to join issue with the premier legislative arm.

"However, the AIB is saddened by this unjustified vilification of the bureau on the floor of the Senate as the allegation was mostly incorrect. The Senate was misinformed. As at the time the debate was going on in the Senate, the reports referred to were on the bureau's web site (aib.gov.ng) and just a click away from any interested member of the public."

He revealed that "For record purpose, Sosoliso Accident report, which had been released since 2006 and published in the national newspapers has been on the bureau's website for several years now. Bellview and ADC crash reports have been published and have been on our website since 2012 while DANA's preliminary report has been published since July 2012. Other outstanding accident reports are being diligently pursued.

"A little research, including a check on our website or the aviation committee of the Senate would have made this debate unnecessary.