NAF crash: Air chief orders probe, assures victims’ families of support
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has ordered a high-level investigation into the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, which claimed 25 lives, while assuring the victims’ families of the support of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Aneke, who visited the crash site, said the military would provide the necessary assistance to the families of those who died in the accident.
The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was on a routine flight from Benin to Lagos when it crashed into a swampy area opposite the Naval Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda. All 25 people on board, including the crew, died in the accident.
About 96 hours after the crash, the main body of the aircraft was yet to be excavated, while the remains of the victims had not been fully recovered. The flight recorder, or black box, had also not been recovered.
Recovery efforts were hampered by the swampy terrain, despite the deployment of heavy-duty amphibious excavators, known as swamp buggies, by the Ondo State Government. Only fragments of the aircraft had been recovered as of the time of filing the report.
Aneke said he had directed the superintendent of safety and evaluation to assemble a high-level team comprising military and civilian safety experts to investigate the cause of the crash. He urged the public to avoid speculation until the investigation was concluded.
The air chief, who said he personally knew everyone on board, described the incident as a major loss and commended the Ondo State Government and residents of Igbokoda for their response to the disaster.
He assured the victims’ families of the military’s support, saying, “The Nigerian Air Force is putting everything possible to ensure that the families get the necessary support they need”.
