The African Democratic Congress (ADC) wants answers from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). The party is asking why civilians, including children, were on the military aircraft that crashed in Ondo State on Monday.
The NAF had just released the names of the 25 people who died when its ATR-42 aircraft, NAF 931, went down in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State. The Air Force said the plane had five crew members and 20 passengers. It was on a “routine mission” from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos when it crashed. No one survived.
Among the passengers listed were military personnel as well as Mrs Ezeh Nneka, Godstmine Tarabina, Joy Micheal, Sunday Micheal, Ukeme David and Gideon Omotola. The Air Force did not publicly state the ages or specific status of the civilian passengers in its casualty list.
The crash happened in Igbokoda after air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft. The wreckage was later found near a naval base in Ondo State.
In a statement, the ADC, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the names released had raised fresh questions.
“Following the Nigerian Air Force’s release of the names of casualties in Monday’s NAF ATR-42 aircraft crash, the ADC demands a clear explanation: why were civilians, including children, aboard a military aircraft that was on a ‘routine mission’?” Abdullahi said.
The party said its earlier call for an investigation must now settle three things: the purpose of the mission, who allowed the passengers on board and what caused the crash.
“‘Routine mission’ is a description of an event, not an explanation,” he said.
“Hence, the families of the victims deserve answers, while the entire nation deserves accountability.”
The NAF said NAF 931 was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. But its casualty statement gave no details on why the 20 passengers were aboard, and did not separate military personnel from civilians beyond listing names and ranks where applicable.
The aircraft was an ATR-42, a twin-engine turboprop used by the Air Force for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, search-and-rescue and limited transport duties. It was operated by the NAF’s 81 Air Maritime Group in Benin City.
The crash has also raised questions about maintenance and funding of military aircraft. The ADC had separately called for an audit of budgetary releases and spending on NAF fleet maintenance. It argued the probe should look at the aircraft’s maintenance history, availability of spare parts, compliance with maintenance schedules and actual maintenance spending.
The Air Force said its Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, ordered a full investigation into the accident. It also urged the public to avoid speculation and unverified information.
The crash has triggered national mourning. President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning for the victims.
The ADC said mourning is not enough. It said the government must give clear answers to the families and the public about how a military aircraft came to carry civilians and what happened before it went down.
The party’s demand comes amid lingering confusion over the crash and differing figures on how many people were aboard. On Monday, officials said 32 people were on board, made up of 25 passengers and seven crew members. The NAF later revised the figure to 25 people, five crew members and 20 passengers. Authorities have not publicly explained the discrepancy.
The ADC said the investigation should therefore provide a full account of the flight, its passengers, authorisation, operational purpose and the circumstances before the crash.
