Nine days after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crashed into a river in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, the wreckage and bodies of the 25 victims remain unrecovered, raising concerns over public health and possible environmental contamination.
Residents have reported an increasingly offensive stench around the crash site, with community leaders urging the federal and state governments to accelerate recovery operations and assess the potential impact on water sources. The incident has also prompted calls for greater accountability in military aviation, with the Senate demanding an audit of the NAF’s aircraft fleet and maintenance funding, while the House of Representatives has called for an independent investigation.
The monarch of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said decomposing human remains and suspected aviation fuel contamination were causing distress in the community. He urged authorities to recover the victims and aircraft debris and begin an urgent environmental clean-up. Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Tob Loko, said the state government was working with federal authorities to assess the contamination and determine appropriate decontamination measures.
Community leaders and residents have also expressed concern over the prolonged recovery operation. Segun Omogbemi, a community leader, described the stench as increasingly unbearable, while resident Veronica Molehin said the odour had reached homes near the crash site. The state government said it had dispatched a team to assess the environmental impact, although the commissioner confirmed that no bodies had been recovered at the time of his statement.
The NAF said it had intensified search and recovery efforts and established a 12-member board to investigate the October 5, 2026, crash. In a statement, its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the investigation would examine operational, technical, environmental, human and organisational factors. The board includes aviation specialists and representatives of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau. The service said it would preserve evidence, assess the emergency response and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
The Senate has directed its relevant committees to examine the NAF’s aircraft fleet, maintenance funding and airworthiness standards. Lawmakers also called on the military and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau to establish the immediate and underlying causes of the crash and make their findings public. The House of Representatives separately urged an independent inquiry, an audit of military aircraft and equipment, timely release of maintenance funds, and welfare support and compensation for the victims’ families.
Budget documents reviewed for the period from 2022 to 2026 show that the NAF earmarked approximately N37.10bn for aircraft maintenance across five budget cycles. The allocations rose from N2.56bn in both the 2022 appropriation amendment and the 2023 Appropriation Act to N4.86bn in the 2024 executive proposal, N11.57bn in the 2025 Appropriation Act and N15.56bn in the 2026 Appropriation Bill. However, the amounts actually released and spent could not be established from the available records.
The crash has also prompted allegations about the aircraft’s condition before its final flight. The brother of a female NAF officer who died in the incident alleged that the aircraft had developed a mechanical fault and stopped in Benin City, Edo State, for checks before continuing to Lagos. He accused the authorities of withholding information about the incident. The allegations have not been verified, and the official investigation has yet to establish the cause of the crash.
Aviation experts have called for stronger independent oversight of military aviation safety. Olumide Ohunayo, a member of the Aviation Round Table, said civilian aviation regulators and accident investigators should play a greater role in examining military aircraft crashes. Aviation expert Alex Nwuba also raised concerns about maintenance practices and aircraft availability, although his claims about the number of operational NAF aircraft could not be independently verified. Retired Group Captain John Ojikutu questioned the lack of progress in recovering the victims.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation into the crash, and the Federal Government has declared three days of national mourning for the victims. The NAF has expressed condolences to the bereaved families and said recovery operations and the investigation remain priorities. With the victims still missing and concerns mounting over the condition of the crash site, pressure is growing on authorities to expedite recovery efforts, address potential environmental risks and establish what caused the tragedy.
