The brother of a Nigerian Air Force sergeant who died in the October 5 aircraft crash in Ondo State has accused the military of failing to provide a full account of the tragedy, alleging that the aircraft had developed a technical fault before leaving Benin City, Edo State.
In a video circulating on social media, the grieving man said his sister’s final communications with him suggested that the aircraft had experienced a mechanical problem and was undergoing checks in Benin before proceeding to Lagos. He disputed the Air Force’s description of the flight as a routine mission from Benin to Lagos, insisting that it had originated in Abuja.
“I lost my sister, who is a sergeant in the Nigerian Air Force, to this tragic incident caused by the Nigerian Air Force,” he said, alleging that the crash might have been avoided if the reported fault had been properly addressed.
The man said he intended to present messages exchanged with his sister before the incident as evidence of the aircraft’s alleged technical difficulties and movements.
According to him, his sister informed him that the aircraft had stopped in Benin on Sunday night for repairs or inspection. He claimed that she was uncertain about the nature of the fault and had asked him to send her money.
“I have evidence that this aircraft was coming all the way from Abuja. It stopped in Benin on Sunday night so that it can be fixed,” he said.
“And it was unfixable because my sister told me on that call that she does not know what was wrong with this aircraft. I should just send her money, and I sent her money immediately.”
He said only about five to 10 minutes separated the money transfer from the aircraft’s departure, raising questions about whether sufficient time had been allowed to resolve the alleged problem.
The bereaved brother demanded to know who authorised the aircraft to continue its journey despite the concerns he said his sister had reported.
“Who gave that command for them to manage the aircraft to Lagos?” he asked, directing the question at the Air Force leadership, including the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke.
The allegations come amid reports that the ATR-42 aircraft, identified as NAF 931, developed an engine problem during a stop in Benin on October 4, a day before it crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
According to an earlier media report citing multiple sources, including a passenger on the aircraft, the plane was travelling from Abuja to Lagos and had stopped in Benin to drop off passengers when the reported fault prevented it from continuing its journey.
The report said technicians worked on the aircraft overnight before it departed for Lagos on Monday morning, reportedly after engineers indicated that the fault had been rectified. The plane crashed minutes after take-off.
The incident has raised questions about the aircraft’s condition, the nature of the maintenance carried out in Benin and the decision to resume the flight. The aircraft had also reportedly spent almost three years undergoing maintenance in Germany before returning to Nigeria in December 2024.
The Nigerian Air Force had described the ill-fated journey as a routine mission from Benin to Lagos, a characterisation disputed by sources cited in the earlier report and by the deceased sergeant’s brother.
The man also said he had received videos and photographs from residents of the community where the aircraft came down, adding that he believed the materials could assist efforts to establish what happened.
He called for a transparent investigation into the crash and urged the Air Force to disclose the aircraft’s movements, maintenance history and the circumstances surrounding its departure from Benin. He also demanded accountability if investigators found that negligence or breaches of safety procedures had contributed to the tragedy.
Beyond the circumstances of the crash, the brother expressed anguish over what he described as a lack of communication from the military, despite being his sister’s next of kin.
He said he had received no meaningful information about the recovery of the victims’ bodies, the investigation or arrangements for affected families several days after the incident.
“Meanwhile, it’s five days and I am the next of kin. I’ve not gotten any information. I’ve not gotten any news. Nothing from you guys,” he said.
The man questioned how bereaved families could cope with their losses without timely updates from the authorities. He also criticised assurances that the military would support the children of deceased personnel, arguing that families needed clear information about their loved ones and the next steps.
His account also drew attention to his sister’s financial circumstances and wider concerns about the welfare of serving personnel. He said she had sought financial assistance shortly before the crash and questioned how a sergeant with more than 11 years of service could have less than N17,000 in her bank account.
“How does a sergeant in the Nigerian Air Force not have ₦17,000 in their account?” he asked.
He alleged that his sister had frequently struggled to meet her financial needs despite her years in service and said he had previously encouraged her to leave the military because of what he described as inadequate pay and irregular salary payments.
The man further claimed that the Air Force had not paid the previous month’s salary at the time he recorded the video. He did not provide independently verifiable payroll records to substantiate the allegation.
He estimated that his sister earned about N3.5m or less annually and noted that she also had children to care for. He questioned whether the financial and welfare provisions for military personnel adequately reflected the risks associated with their duties.
Describing his sister as one of the most important people in his life, he broke down while recounting the loss and said he was struggling to comfort their mother, for whom the deceased was the first child.
“My sister is the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said.
The brother said his sister’s body had not been recovered when he recorded the video, compounding the family’s distress.
He called on the Nigerian Air Force to clarify the events leading to the crash, confirm whether NAF 931 had developed a mechanical fault in Benin and identify the person who authorised its departure.
He said he was prepared to provide investigators with the messages and other materials he claimed to possess.
