A bereaved woman has mourned her partner, one of the casualties of the Nigerian Air Force NAF 931 aircraft crash at Igbokoda, Ondo State, saying he had only informed her that he was travelling to Abuja but never mentioned he would not come back.
In a viral video, the woman asked why her partner had departed without telling her the journey would be his last.
This came as a family also spoke about losing their only son, an NYSC-bound graduate, in the ill-fated flight.
As search and rescue operations went on yesterday, an underwater survey using side-scan sonar equipment began mapping the crash site to establish the location of the submerged aircraft 48 hours after the crash.
Meanwhile, the rigid divide between civil and military aviation was reduced yesterday, as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, agreed to strengthen collaboration between the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, in aviation safety, airworthiness, certification, training, and capacity building.
This followed a visit by the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, to NAF headquarters in Abuja to sign the condolence register in honor of the crash victims.
Mourning the loss of her partner, the lady in the viral video said, “It’s Abuja. You told me you were going to, you didn’t mention you won’t come back. You left me.’’
For Ukeme David, another victim of the crash, Wednesday, October 7, 2026 (yesterday), was meant to be a homecoming day.
Having completed his clearance in preparation for the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, the young man had intended to leave Benin and return to Lagos yesterday. But a request from his family altered his plans.
Rather than waiting until yesterday, Ukeme boarded the ill-fated NAF aircraft on Monday, October 5, to return to Lagos and help look after his sister. But he never made it home.
A family member, who spoke to the press on condition of anonymity, said the tragedy was especially painful because Ukeme had travelled to Benin for his NYSC clearance and was already eager to return to Lagos.
“He was a very intelligent student. He left Benin in the aircraft to come and look after his sister when his mother was to return this weekend. He had intended to come on Wednesday, but Monday became his last day. He was an only son,” the source said.
The family member further revealed that another victim was the son of an Air Force officer, while Flying Officer IM Adeshina was remembered as the top student in his set at the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA.
“For Flying Officer IM Adeshina, he was the best student during his NDA,” the source said.
While families wait for the remains of their loved ones to be recovered, the conditions surrounding the crash continue to be a serious worry.
According to the family source, there were worries about the weather conditions in the area when the incident occurred, even though the cause of the crash had not yet been determined.
“We are suspecting the weather because information in the area said the weather was not too good. But that is not our concern. Our immediate concern now is to get their corpses and those of others for burial,” the source said.
Military launches sonar survey to find submerged NAF aircraft
As part of fresh efforts to recover the crashed plane and those on board, an underwater survey using side-scan sonar equipment began mapping the crash location yesterday, aiming to establish the position of the submerged aircraft.
The sonar survey is anticipated to help divers and other technical personnel pinpoint the aircraft’s exact location, allowing the search and rescue team to plan subsequent recovery operations, including deploying a swamp buggy to aid excavation in the challenging terrain.
The operation has been bolstered by Nigerian Navy divers and Nigerian Air Force drone pilots, who are using specialized equipment to carry out precise searches across the surrounding mangrove and forested areas.
To support the rescue efforts, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has deployed the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic Department with advanced sonar scan equipment to obtain a clear underwater picture of the mapped area, given the swamp’s turbidity.
This comes on top of ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Navy Air Arm in the recovery operation.
The development came after an assessment visit to the crash site by the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha, and the Air Officer Commanding, Logistics Command, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Abubakar Abdul Suleh.
The visit concerned the NAF ATR-42 aircraft with tail number NAF 931, which crashed in the area.
The delegation was received at the Officers’ Mess of the Forward Operating Base, FOB, Igbokoda, by the Commanding Officer, Navy Captain Andy Alemongwa.
At the base, government officials, community leaders, emergency management agencies, and other stakeholders had gathered to offer condolences and show support for the Armed Forces.
Those in attendance included the Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, the Commissioners for Health and Environment, representatives of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the Nigerian Red Cross Society, and the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), along with personnel from other security agencies.
Rear Admiral Mustapha conveyed the appreciation of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and the service chiefs to the Ondo State government, communities, emergency agencies, and other stakeholders for their support since the incident.
He called on stakeholders to stay calm and keep cooperating with the agencies involved in the recovery operation.
The FOC also thanked Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, as well as Hi-Tech and AUC Construction companies, for supplying mechanized equipment to aid the recovery efforts.
The delegation, accompanied by selected stakeholders, then travelled by boat to the crash site for an on-the-spot assessment of the ongoing operation.
They evaluated the situation and offered technical guidance intended to help bring about the timely recovery of the submerged aircraft and its contents.
The team later visited the swamp buggy launching point, where Rear Admiral Mustapha spoke with the technical crew and urged them to step up efforts towards prompt execution of the recovery operation.
