Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has inspected the site of the fatal NAF 931 aircraft crash in Ondo State, assuring bereaved families of a thorough investigation and support as recovery operations continue.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has inspected the site of the Nigerian Air Force NAF 931 aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State, assuring the families of the victims that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.
Aneke gave the assurance on Thursday, October 8, when he led senior NAF officials and the search and recovery team to the crash site in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area.
The aircraft crashed on Monday, October 5, while on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos. The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that all 25 people aboard—20 passengers and five crew members—died in the incident.
The Air Chief said his visit was aimed at assessing recovery operations, ensuring accountability and addressing the welfare needs of the victims’ families.
He expressed condolences to the bereaved families, describing the incident as a major loss to the Nigerian Air Force and the country.
Aneke said he personally knew the crew members, whom he described as highly trained and professional officers, adding that the service would honour their sacrifice by ensuring the circumstances surrounding the crash were properly established.
He assured the families that the NAF would provide the necessary support and leave no stone unturned in investigating the tragedy.
The Air Chief also disclosed that a high-level investigation panel would comprise military and civilian aviation safety experts, representatives of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), relevant agencies, retired senior officers and experienced NAF personnel.
Aneke urged the public to avoid speculation about the cause of the crash, stressing that specialists needed sufficient time to examine the evidence and reach informed conclusions.
“This is not the time to start speculating,” he said, appealing for patience as investigators work to establish what happened.
He said swamp buggies and other heavy-duty equipment had been deployed to help retrieve the aircraft wreckage from the difficult, waterlogged terrain.
The Chief of the Air Staff commended residents of Igbokoda for their prompt response after the crash and thanked Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa for providing resources and machinery to support recovery efforts.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force, firefighters, Federal Road Safety Corps, other security agencies and emergency response teams.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Investigation and Recovery Team, Air Vice Marshal Ebimobo Ebiowe, said efforts were ongoing to recover and document aircraft components and other evidence from the swamp.
Ebiowe explained that preliminary investigative work would examine possible contributing factors, including maintenance issues, weather conditions, pilot actions and other technical or operational considerations.
He stressed that the investigation was not yet conclusive and that no cause had been established.
According to him, recovered materials were being preserved and documented while teams continued efforts to locate critical components, including the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, which could provide important evidence about the aircraft’s final moments.
The investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash and help identify measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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