The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has constituted a board of inquiry to investigate the crash of its ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State, which killed all 25 people on board.
A military source confirmed that the board of inquiry, traditionally chaired by the Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation, was activated immediately after the October 5 incident.
The official said the specialists must be on the ground during recovery operations because evidence gathered forms part of the investigation.
“A board of inquiry has been set up. Immediately after an aircraft crashes, we activated the board of specialists. The Superintendent of Standards and Evaluation is automatically the chairman of the board. It’s a permanent appointment,” the source stated.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, later directed the formation of a high-level team comprising both military and civilian aviation safety experts.
The panel is to include representatives of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), accident and emergency management authorities, retired senior military officers and experienced NAF personnel.
Aneke, who visited the crash site in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, assured the families of the victims and the public that the NAF would conduct a thorough and professional investigation.
He said all relevant evidence would be carefully secured, documented, preserved and examined before any conclusion is reached on the cause of the accident.
He urged the public to refrain from speculation, stressing that only specialists could establish what happened.
The aircraft, registration number NAF 931, was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed into a swampy area near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
The NAF confirmed that the plane carried five crew members and 20 passengers, with no survivors found.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said a comprehensive investigation ordered by the Chief of Air Staff was already underway.
He noted that the service follows established aircraft investigation protocols and that official findings would be made public once the preliminary report is concluded.
Recovery operations have faced challenges due to the dense vegetation and difficult swampy terrain. Specialised floating equipment has been deployed to clear paths and access the wreckage.
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