NAF PLANE CRASH: FAMILIES OF VICTIMS SEEK REMAINS AS INVESTIGATORS SEARCH FOR BLACK BOX

By Aishat Momoh. O.

Families of victims of the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State are struggling to come to terms with their losses, with some calling for the recovery of their loved ones’ remains to enable them to give them a proper burial.

Among the victims were Joy and Sunday Micheal, who were travelling to Lagos for introduction rites ahead of their wedding when the aircraft crashed into a swamp near the Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Days after the October 5 disaster, their family is still grappling with the loss of the couple, whose plans to formalise their relationship were cut short by the tragedy.

Sunday’s sister, Damilola, said the family’s immediate concern was recovering the couple’s remains rather than their abandoned wedding plans.

“We lost both my brother and his wife in the crash, and we are still mourning,” she said on Friday.

Damilola explained that the couple had been living together for some time before deciding to formalise their relationship.

“The only thing we are after now is to reclaim the bodies of my brother and his wife,” she said, adding that their mother was struggling to cope with the loss.

“My mother is in pain right now, and the only thing she wants is the remains of her son and his wife,” she added.

Beyond the grief, Damilola questioned why the tragedy had befallen her brother, whom she described as devoted to God.

“My brother served God; how can we escape life’s tragedies despite prayers?” she asked.

She also expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding the crash and the risks Nigerians face while travelling.

The Micheals were among six civilians listed by the Nigerian Air Force as passengers on the ill-fated flight. The others were Mrs Ezeh Nneka, Godstmine Tarabina, Ukeme David and Gideon Omotola.

For the Tarabina family in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the loss of Godstmine has been compounded by uncertainty over the recovery operation.

His sister, Perfection, said the family had yet to receive an official briefing from the Air Force.

“The incident has completely devastated our family, and we are just mourning our loss. We have yet to receive any update from the Nigerian Air Force or the government on the progress of the search-and-rescue operation,” she said.

“My brother was not military personnel, though my mother is, and he was simply returning home when the incident happened,” she added.

Another family mourning a future cut short is that of Ukeme David, a young graduate who recently completed his Higher National Diploma in Accounting at the Federal Polytechnic, Ukana, Akwa Ibom State.

David was returning to Lagos after completing his clearance ahead of mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps. He had travelled to Benin, Edo State, to visit his father before boarding the aircraft for what should have been a short journey home.

His uncle, Hamilton Meko, said David had hoped to complete his national service while pursuing his ambition of becoming a footballer.

“His father arranged for him to board the aircraft to Lagos for what was supposed to be a short flight from Benin. Instead, it ended in a tragedy that has left his family devastated and a future full of promise cut short,” Meko said.

David’s parents, both master warrant officers serving at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Ikeja, Lagos, are also mourning the loss of their son, who had spent most of his life there.

Meko called on the Federal Government, the Air Force and relevant aviation safety authorities to ensure that the crash was thoroughly and independently investigated, with the findings made public.

He said investigators should examine the aircraft’s airworthiness, maintenance records, operational procedures, weather conditions and any other factors that might have contributed to the disaster.

“If the investigation identifies negligence, misconduct or safety violations, those responsible must face appropriate legal and professional consequences,” he added.

Newly commissioned officer, co-pilot among victims

The crash also claimed the lives of military personnel, including Flying Officer IM Adeshina, who was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force on September 26, just nine days before the disaster.

A tribute circulating online described Adeshina as the best graduating cadet of Branch Commission Course 3, highlighting the promise of a military career that had only just begun.

“He was not just a name on a list; he was a son, a brother, a friend, a colleague, and a promising officer who had just started his journey of service to Nigeria,” the tribute read.

Also among the victims was Squadron Leader Ahamefule Aham Man-Ugwueje, the aircraft’s co-pilot.

Photographs from his wedding on September 20, 2026, at the NAF Base circulated widely on social media following the crash.

A tribute accompanying the photographs read, “He got married two weeks ago, then tragedy struck; may God console his young wife.”

Recovery operation continues

At the swampy crash site in Igbokoda, local fishermen recovered personal belongings, clothing and a tail fin from the wreckage, adding to the distress of families awaiting the recovery of their loved ones.

The aircraft, an ATR-42 with registration number NAF 931, crashed at about 9am on Monday while flying from Benin to Lagos.

The Nigerian Air Force subsequently confirmed that all 25 people on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, died in the crash.

An initial account from the Ministry of Aviation put the casualty figure at 32, but the Air Force later released an official manifest listing 25 occupants.

Recovery efforts have continued at the site, with joint teams working to retrieve human remains and wreckage.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa confirmed on Wednesday that human remains, personal belongings and aircraft parts had been recovered, although divers were still searching for the main fuselage.

On Thursday, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, visited the site and assured affected families that physical evidence would be secured, documented and examined as part of a comprehensive investigation.

The Air Force said the operation involved military personnel, security agencies, emergency responders, local authorities and community volunteers.

Aneke said his visit was intended to assess the welfare of personnel involved in the operation, review recovery efforts and ensure accountability.

Air Force searches for flight recorders

The NAF has said efforts are ongoing to recover critical components of the crashed aircraft, including its flight recorders, which could help investigators establish the circumstances surrounding the disaster.

The NAF Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice Marshal Ebimobo Ebiowe, disclosed this on Friday during a visit to the crash site.

He said investigators were searching for components of the wreckage that could provide vital evidence, including the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder, commonly known as the black boxes.

“We hope to be able to find critical components of the aircraft that will speak to the investigators because the aircraft wreckage actually speaks to investigators,” Ebiowe said.

“One of them is what the ordinary man calls the black box. We call it the Flight Data Recorder and another component close to it, the Cockpit Voice Recorder,” he added.

The investigation is expected to examine the aircraft’s maintenance history and operational status before the flight.

A report by Military Africa published in January 2025 indicated that NAF 931 returned to Nigeria in late December 2024 after spending nearly four years at the Rheinland Air Service maintenance facility in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

According to the report, the aircraft was sent to Germany for maintenance in January 2022, although the reasons for the extended maintenance period were not disclosed.

Separately, SaharaReporters reported that the aircraft flew from Abuja to Lagos on Sunday, October 4, with a stopover in Benin to drop off passengers.

The publication, citing sources, reported that the aircraft developed an engine fault during the stopover and that technicians worked on it overnight before its scheduled departure for Lagos the following morning.

However, the Air Force’s official statement described the aircraft as being on a routine flight from Benin to Lagos when the crash occurred.

The NAF has constituted a joint investigative panel comprising military and civilian aviation safety experts, including representatives of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau, to investigate the crash.