The Nigerian Air Force has assured the families of personnel who died in the 5th October crash of its ATR 42-500 aircraft, NAF 931, at Igbokoda, Ondo State, that salaries of the deceased will continue to be paid until their full death benefits are disbursed to next of kin.
The assurance was given on 28 October during an engagement with the bereaved families in Abuja, where the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, represented the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke.
Gabkwet conveyed the CAS’s condolences and stressed that the Service’s responsibility extends beyond the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. As a practical measure, the CAS directed that salaries of the fallen personnel remain uninterrupted while death benefits are being processed. The policy, initiated by the current CAS, is intended to provide financial stability for dependants during the administrative period.
Officials also updated the families on the recovery operation. The swampy, waterlogged terrain around the crash site has posed significant technical and logistical difficulties, requiring dewatering, engineering support and site stabilisation.
Gabkwet said the NAF would sustain recovery efforts in collaboration with relevant agencies and support a thorough, evidence-based investigation. He emphasised that the Service would not speculate on the cause of the accident until all relevant evidence had been examined.
Recognising the emotional and spiritual impact of the loss, the NAF arranged meetings between the families and its Christian chaplains and Muslim imams. Renowned consultant psychologist Professor Ehize Odigie-Okpataku also conducted individual counselling sessions.
Families were given the opportunity to raise concerns and seek clarification on recovery efforts and welfare arrangements.
The CAS assured the families that their grief and questions matter and that the dignity of the deceased would remain central to the Service’s response.
The NAF pledged to maintain open communication through designated liaison channels, including the Directorate of Veterans Affairs, and to continue supporting the families while the recovery and investigation proceed.