The brother of a Nigerian Air Force sergeant who died in the recent aircraft crash in Ondo State has accused the Nigerian Air Force of operating a faulty aircraft and attempting to downplay the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
In an emotional video, the grieving man alleged that his sister had informed him of a technical problem with the aircraft before the crash.
According to him, the aircraft was originally travelling from Abuja to Lagos but reportedly stopped in Benin after developing a mechanical fault.
He questioned why the aircraft was allowed to continue its journey despite the alleged technical problem.
“Who flies a faulty aircraft? The Nigerian Air Force. They flew a faulty aircraft that crashed, and now they lied about it. They tried to make the situation less severe, and now there’s damage control everywhere,” he said.
The bereaved brother also challenged the Air Force’s description of the flight as a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. He insisted that the aircraft had departed Abuja and only stopped in Benin because of the alleged technical fault.
Beyond the circumstances of the crash, he raised concerns about the welfare of Air Force personnel. He disclosed that his sister, who had served for more than 11 years, had asked him for ₦17,000 shortly before the incident.
“How does a sergeant in the Nigerian Air Force not have ₦17,000 in their account?” he asked, alleging that salary delays and financial difficulties were affecting personnel.
The situation became even more painful when he claimed that five days after the incident, he had yet to receive any official communication from the Air Force, despite being his sister’s next of kin.
Fighting back tears, he spoke about the personal loss he was struggling to process.
“My sister is the best thing that ever happened to me. How am I supposed to console my mother?” he asked.
He is demanding answers about who authorised the aircraft to continue its journey despite the alleged technical problem and has called for a thorough investigation into the crash.
The tragedy has raised serious questions about aircraft safety, the welfare of military personnel and the need for transparency when lives are lost in the line of duty.
However, the brother’s allegations about the aircraft’s condition, the decision to continue the flight and the Air Force’s handling of the incident have not been independently verified. A thorough and transparent investigation would be necessary to establish what actually happened.
May the departed officer rest in peace, and may her family find the strength to bear this painful loss.
