By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has urged the public to refrain from speculating on Monday’s aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
Speaking at the crash site on Thursday, Aneke asked for patience while aviation experts conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
“This is not the time to start speculating and I plead with the general public. We’ve lost people who are fighting for the nation,” he said.
“The best we can do for them is to be a little bit patient and let those who are the specialists get to the bottom of what happened.”
Aneke described the deceased personnel as highly trained, professional and intelligent officers, saying their sacrifice must be honoured.
“I know each of the crew personally, highly trained, professional and intelligent officers. And the best we can do is to honor the sacrifice they have put with those on board this aircraft,” he stated.
The Air Force chief disclosed that a high-level delegation of military and civilian safety experts, accident investigation specialists and experienced Air Force officers had been tasked with establishing what happened.
“I want to assure the families of our loved ones that the Nigerian Air Force will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that whatever happened here is properly investigated,” he noted.
Aneke also assured the bereaved families that the Nigerian Air Force would provide the necessary support, while commending the Ondo State Government, local residents and security and emergency agencies involved in the recovery operation.
“I assure you and I assure the families that they will not be left alone. We are here together and the Nigerian Air Force will take its responsibility and ensure children and loved ones are trained and made to live life as normal as we can make it.”
The Air Force said the recovery operation has so far yielded aircraft components and human remains, with efforts continuing to locate critical parts of the aircraft.
The Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, Air Vice Marshal Ebimobo Ebiowe, who heads the investigation team and coordinates the search and recovery operation, gave an update.
“So far, we have recovered some aircraft components and also human remains. We will continue this effort until we’re able to recover what in accident investigation we call recoverable part of the mishap aircraft,” he said.
According to Ebiowe, he recovered wreckage would be preserved and documented, while efforts continued to locate critical components, including the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.
He also explained that the cause of the crash could not yet be determined, with investigators examining several possible factors.
“There are a whole gamut of factors, could it be maintenance issues? Could it be weather? Could it be pilot error? Or some other auxiliary reasons that are responsible for the crash. That cannot be determined at the preliminary stage,” he said.
“Two swamp buggies have been deployed into the difficult terrain to aid the recovery of critical aircraft components that could help investigators establish the cause of the crash.”
The investigation team said its objective is to determine what caused the crash and use the findings to prevent a recurrence, while recovery operations continue.
PerSecondNews had reported that NAF 931 aircraft crashed on Monday, October 5, 2026, during a routine mission from Benin to Lagos, with 25 people and seven crew members on board.
The aircraft came down near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
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