A grieving woman has publicly mourned the loss of her partner, one of the victims of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Ondo State, stating that he had only informed her of a trip to Abuja without mentioning it would be his final journey. In a viral video, the woman expressed her shock at his sudden departure, saying, “It’s Abuja you told me you were going to, you didn’t mention you won’t come back. You left me.”
The crash, which occurred on Monday, October 5, 2026, also claimed the life of Ukeme David, an only son and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) graduate. According to a family member speaking on condition of anonymity, David had traveled to Benin for his NYSC clearance and originally planned to return to Lagos on Wednesday, October 7, to care for his sister while his mother was away. However, a family request prompted him to board the ill-fated NAF 931 aircraft two days earlier to return home, a trip from which he never returned.
The family described the tragedy as particularly painful, noting that David was an intelligent student who was looking forward to his homecoming. The source also identified other victims, including the son of an Air Force personnel and Flying Officer IM Adeshina, who was remembered as the best student in his set at the Nigerian Defence Academy. While the official cause of the crash remains under investigation, the family expressed concerns regarding the weather conditions in the area at the time of the incident, stating their immediate priority is the recovery of the remains for burial.
Search and rescue operations intensified yesterday as an underwater survey using side-scan sonar equipment began mapping the crash site to locate the submerged aircraft. The survey, conducted 48 hours after the crash, aims to assist divers and technical personnel in identifying the plane’s exact position to facilitate recovery operations, including the potential use of a swamp buggy for excavation in the difficult terrain. The operation has been reinforced by Nigerian Navy divers and NAF drone pilots using specialized equipment to search the surrounding mangrove and forested areas.
In support of the recovery efforts, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, deployed the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department with state-of-the-art sonar scan equipment to obtain a clear underwater image of the area, which is characterized by high turbidity. This deployment follows an assessment visit to the crash site by Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, and Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdul Suleh, Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command, NAF. The delegation was received at the Officers’ Mess of the Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, by Navy Captain Andy Alemongwa.
Meanwhile, efforts to bridge the gap between civil and military aviation safety were advanced yesterday when Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke agreed to deepen collaboration between the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the NAF. The two officials resolved to work together on aviation safety, airworthiness, certification, training, and capacity building. Additionally, Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi visited NAF headquarters in Abuja to sign the condolence register for the victims of the crash.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
