Sowore visits Ondo crash site, demands independent probe

Omoyele Sowore. Photo: Omoyele Sowore/X

African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has called for an independent investigation into the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State, arguing that personnel responsible for maintenance and procurement should not investigate the incident.

The activist made the call during a visit to the crash site on Friday, sharing a video of his visit on X on Saturday.

In the video, Sowore criticised the handling of the wreckage and victims’ remains, insisting that all parts of the aircraft should be recovered and examined by experts to establish the cause of the crash.

“Those who are responsible for maintenance, procurements should not be the ones investigating what happened. We should bring outsiders,” he said.

He questioned how the crash site and wreckage had been handled, arguing that the process could undermine efforts to establish what happened.

“That’s not how to investigate accidents. How it is done all over the world is that every part of that aircraft must be retrieved and pinned back together by experts because if there had been a bomb blast, how would we know?” he said.

Sowore also expressed anger over the loss of lives, saying the incident should not be treated as a routine occurrence.

“Something went wrong, and it’s fundamental. And we are just looking at this and saying, oh, they have visited. No, it’s not a matter of the visitors. It’s a matter of the passengers. People died,” he said.

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He added that one of the victims had recently married, lamenting the loss of lives in the crash.

In a post accompanying the video, Sowore said he travelled from Abuja to Akure on Friday before proceeding by road to Igbokoda, where he met and marched alongside members of affected communities and grassroots leaders.

The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, with registration number NAF 931, crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, on October 5 while on a routine mission from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos.

The Air Force confirmed that all 25 people on board — five crew members and 20 passengers — died in the crash.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has said the military would conduct a thorough investigation and ensure relevant evidence is secured, documented and examined before any conclusion is reached on the cause of the accident.