The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has assured families of personnel who died in the October 5, 2026 accident involving its ATR 42-500 aircraft, NAF 931, at Igbokoda, Ondo State, that their salaries will continue to be paid until death benefits are fully settled.
The assurance was given during an engagement with the bereaved families on October 28, 2026.
The Chief of the Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, represented by the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, conveyed condolences to the families and reaffirmed the Service’s solidarity.
According to a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the CAS has directed that the salaries of the deceased personnel will continue to be paid to their next of kin until their death benefits are fully paid.
Ejodame said the measure, in line with a welfare policy initiated by the CAS, is designed to provide financial stability for dependants while benefits are being processed.
The engagement also provided updates on the ongoing recovery operation and investigation. AVM Gabkwet explained that the swampy, waterlogged terrain and difficult access to the crash site had presented significant technical and logistical challenges, necessitating dewatering, engineering support and site stabilisation.
He assured the families that the NAF would sustain recovery efforts in collaboration with relevant agencies and support a thorough, evidence-based investigation, stressing that the Service would not speculate on the cause of the accident until relevant evidence had been properly examined.
The NAF also facilitated engagements between the bereaved families and its religious leaders, including Christian chaplains and Muslim imams, for spiritual guidance and pastoral support, while consultant psychologist, Professor Ehize Odigie-Okpataku, provided psychological support and counselling.
“The grief matters, your questions matter, and the dignity of your loved ones will remain central to our response to this tragedy,” the CAS assured.
The Service pledged to maintain open communication through designated liaison channels, including the Office of the Directorate of Veterans Affairs.
