Ondo Plane Crash: 25 NAF Victims Still Missing as Residents Raise Health Fears Over Foul Odour

Nine Days After Ondo Air Crash, 25 Victims Still Unrecovered as Residents Fear Pollution

Nine days after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, the remains of the 25 people confirmed to have died in the incident are yet to be recovered, with residents reporting a worsening stench and raising concerns about possible environmental contamination.

The situation has prompted fresh calls for urgent intervention from the Federal and Ondo State governments, as community leaders warn that the prolonged recovery operation is affecting residents’ access to clean water and creating fears over potential public health risks.

The crash occurred on October 5, 2026, when the Air Force’s ATR-42 aircraft, identified as NAF 931, went down near a naval base in Igbokoda while travelling from Benin City to Lagos. The Nigerian Air Force subsequently confirmed that the aircraft was carrying 25 people, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, and that there were no survivors.

Despite ongoing search and recovery efforts, the failure to retrieve the victims’ remains has left families and residents awaiting answers. The incident has also triggered calls from the National Assembly for a wider examination of military aircraft maintenance, safety procedures and funding.

The monarch of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, has appealed to the Federal Government and the Ondo State Government to speed up efforts to recover the victims and address the growing concerns over the condition of the crash site.

Odidiomo said residents had been struggling with an offensive smell believed to be coming from the river where the aircraft crashed. He expressed concern that decomposing human remains and possible aviation fuel leakage could pose environmental and health risks to the community.

“The odour is extremely offensive. So many parts of the human body are floating around in the river. Some of the bodies have not been recovered. They have decomposed, and it is affecting everything,” the monarch said.

He added that the situation had affected residents’ confidence in the safety of water used for domestic purposes, including cooking. According to him, traces of what appeared to be aviation fuel could also be seen on the water some distance from the crash site.

The monarch called on the authorities to intensify recovery operations, remove the aircraft debris and urgently assess whether the river had been contaminated.

Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Tob Loko, said the state government was working with the Federal Government to determine the extent of the environmental impact and identify the measures required to address it.

Loko said a state delegation had been sent to assess the site shortly after the crash. He added that local residents and other responders had also been involved in efforts surrounding the incident.

The commissioner acknowledged the concerns about pollution and said the government was assessing the potential environmental and public health implications before determining the appropriate decontamination measures.

“Despite the number of days the recovery effort has been ongoing, no recovery has been made. None of the corpses has been recovered,” Loko said.

Community leader Segun Omogbemi also described the smell as increasingly unbearable, appealing to the authorities to accelerate the operation and address the suspected contamination.

“What happened in Igbokoda is a very sad experience. Since Sunday, we have perceived this odour, very offensive. In fact, it is getting worse; we are thinking the odour is from the crash site,” he said.

Veronica Molehin, another resident, said the smell had persisted for days and could be perceived from her home, which is not far from the crash location.

“My house is not too far from the scene of the crash; we perceive the odour here too. We have been on it since Friday, and we thought the government would have evacuated the remains of the victims, but they are still on it,” she said.

The residents’ accounts have intensified calls for a more urgent response. However, the extent of any environmental contamination and the associated health risks have yet to be publicly established through a completed assessment.

The Nigerian Air Force has said search and recovery operations remain a priority and that a formal investigation is under way to establish what led to the crash.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, had directed sustained recovery efforts alongside a comprehensive investigation.

Air Vice Marshal E.O.E. Ebiowe, who heads the Investigation and Recovery Team, is coordinating the wider response, while Air Vice Marshal F.O. Ankeli is leading the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board.

The 12-member board includes specialists in aviation operations, flight safety, piloting, air traffic control, aircraft engineering, maintenance and medical services. Representatives of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau are also participating.

The investigation is expected to examine the operational, technical, environmental, human and organisational factors surrounding the crash, preserve relevant evidence and determine its immediate and underlying causes.

It will also assess the emergency response, including search and rescue, medical assistance, recovery operations and management of the crash site, before making recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents.

The Air Force has urged the public not to draw conclusions about the cause of the accident before the investigation is completed. It also announced a dedicated helpline at its headquarters to provide information and clarification to the victims’ next of kin.

The service said it would meet with affected families and provide support during their period of grief, while promising to release further updates as verified information becomes available.

Senate demands aircraft audit

The recovery challenges have coincided with growing pressure on the military to account for the condition of its aircraft and the funding available for maintenance.

On Tuesday, the Senate called for a comprehensive audit of the Nigerian Air Force’s aircraft fleet and maintenance funding, directing relevant committees to scrutinise budgetary allocations and examine whether funding gaps or other shortcomings had contributed to recurring military aviation accidents.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West, who raised concerns about aircraft airworthiness, maintenance practices and operational safety.

The Senate expressed concern over repeated military aircraft crashes and the loss of personnel, warning that a failure to conduct a transparent investigation could prevent the authorities from identifying weaknesses and implementing measures to avoid future tragedies.

The chamber observed a minute’s silence in honour of the victims and extended condolences to President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of the Air Staff, the Nigerian Air Force, the Ondo State Government and the bereaved families.

It called on the Air Force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau to investigate the immediate and underlying causes of the crash and make their findings public.

The Senate also mandated its committees on Air Force and Aviation to visit the crash site, engage with Air Force authorities and audit the serviceability and airworthiness of aircraft in the presidential and military fleets.

It further urged the Federal Government to prioritise regular aircraft maintenance and the replacement of ageing military aircraft.

Seconding the motion, Senator Tahir Monguno, representing Borno North, said a comprehensive audit was needed to establish the operational readiness and airworthiness of the fleet.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, proposed an additional resolution requiring the Air Force leadership to submit its aircraft maintenance budgetary provisions to the relevant Senate committee.

Oshiomhole said lawmakers needed to establish how much was allocated for maintenance, while Senator Titus Zam, representing Benue North-West, called for scrutiny of the funding earmarked for the purpose and whether it was sufficient.

The House of Representatives has also called for an independent investigation into the October 5 crash, alongside a comprehensive audit of military aircraft and their maintenance systems.

The House said an independent inquiry should complement, rather than replace, the investigation announced by the Air Force. Lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to ensure timely releases of approved funds for maintenance, spare parts and other operational requirements.

The resolutions followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Donald Ojogo, an APC lawmaker representing Ondo State. The House called on the Ministry of Defence to conduct an immediate audit of military aircraft and equipment to establish their operational condition and reduce the risk of further accidents.

It also urged the Air Force to strengthen its aircraft maintenance and airworthiness management systems, particularly for ageing aircraft, and ensure that only aircraft meeting prescribed safety requirements were deployed.

The lawmakers called for posthumous commendations for the pilot and crew and urged the government to provide appropriate welfare support and compensation to the bereaved families in line with applicable laws and policies.

During the debate, Ojogo described the crash as a devastating national loss and commended local divers, Nigerian Navy personnel, officials of the Ilaje Local Government Area led by Maurice Oripenaye, the Ondo State Emergency Management Agency and other responders for their efforts.

He also cited eyewitness accounts suggesting that the pilot had attempted to steer the aircraft away from densely populated areas in Igbokoda during its final moments. That account has not been established as part of the official findings into the crash.

Alhassan Rumrum, chairman of the House Committee on Air Force, said the incident underscored the importance of aircraft serviceability to national defence, intelligence gathering, military logistics and operational effectiveness.

He warned that inadequate funding, delayed budget releases and shortages of spare parts could reduce aircraft availability and undermine safety.

Aircraft maintenance budget under scrutiny

Questions have also emerged over the money budgeted for Nigerian Air Force aircraft maintenance between 2022 and 2026.

An analysis of budget documents cited in reports on the crash put the total allocations and proposals for aircraft maintenance across five budget cycles at approximately N37.10 billion.

The figures were N2.56 billion in the 2022 Appropriation Amendment, N2.56 billion in the 2023 Appropriation Act, N4.86 billion in the 2024 Executive Proposal, N11.57 billion in the 2025 Appropriation Act and N15.56 billion in the 2026 Appropriation Bill.

Together, the figures amount to N37,103,707,547.

However, the total should not be interpreted as money confirmed to have been released or spent. The figures include different stages of the budget process, including an executive proposal and a bill, and the available documents reviewed did not establish how much of the funding was eventually released to the Air Force or expended on maintenance.

The actual releases, expenditure and maintenance outcomes therefore remain important questions for the legislative audit. The budget figures alone do not establish whether inadequate funding or maintenance failures caused the Igbokoda crash.

Meanwhile, the brother of a female Air Force officer who died in the incident has accused the authorities of withholding information about the aircraft’s condition before the crash.

He alleged that his sister had told him about a technical problem and claimed the aircraft had stopped in Benin City for checks before continuing towards Lagos.

“There is damage control everywhere,” he said, accusing the military of downplaying the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

He also questioned why the aircraft was allowed to continue its journey if the reported fault had not been adequately resolved.

“I have evidence that this aircraft was coming all the way from Abuja. It stopped in Benin on Sunday night so that it could be fixed,” he said.

The allegations have not been independently established, and the cause of the crash remains subject to the Air Force investigation. The claims should not be treated as proof that a mechanical fault caused the accident.

President Bola Tinubu had ordered a thorough investigation after the crash and declared three days of national mourning for the victims.

Aviation experts call for stronger oversight

Aviation analysts have called for closer cooperation between military and civilian aviation authorities as part of efforts to strengthen safety and accountability.

Olumide Ohunayo, an aviation analyst and member of the Aviation Round Table, said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau should play a stronger role in examining military aviation incidents.

He argued that closer collaboration could help identify safety gaps, improve investigations and ensure that recommendations were followed.

Ohunayo questioned whether the repeated occurrence of military aircraft accidents pointed to wider weaknesses in operational safety and maintenance systems.

“When you have 16 accidents in 10 years, and eight in five years, it shows there’s something wrong with your system,” he said.

He urged the Air Force to accept greater independent scrutiny, arguing that investigations should go beyond the immediate circumstances of a crash to examine the broader systems governing aircraft maintenance, operations and safety.

“The Air Force must agree there’s a problem with their safety and operational system that needs regulatory surveillance, most importantly, audits. And that audit cannot come from the Air Force,” he said.

Aviation expert Alex Nwuba also raised concerns about differences between military and civilian aviation oversight and the need for closer examination of maintenance practices.

Nwuba argued that gaps in regulatory oversight could make it more difficult to ensure that military aviation systems consistently meet appropriate safety standards. He also questioned the operational availability of the Air Force’s aircraft, claiming that only three of its ATR aircraft were operational.

He further alleged that reliance on spare parts from grounded aircraft could affect fleet availability and leave more planes out of service. Those claims about the number of operational aircraft and maintenance practices have not been independently verified.

“We don’t have a maintenance ethic,” he said, adding that some aircraft had reportedly remained grounded for decades.

Retired Group Captain John Ojikutu also expressed concern over the delay in recovering the victims’ remains, questioning the progress made since the crash.

“Have they brought out anything? Even the bodies, they’ve not been able to find them. That is where my worry is,” he said.

For residents of Igbokoda, the immediate concerns remain the recovery of the victims, the removal of debris and the safety of the surrounding environment. For the military and the Federal Government, the incident has also intensified demands for a transparent investigation and a detailed review of aircraft maintenance, funding and operational safety.

Until recovery operations advance and the environmental assessment establishes the extent of any contamination, the community’s concerns over the river and the reported stench remain unresolved.