NAF to Ondo community: Concerns over decaying bodies legitimate, we’d coordinate cleanup

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has acknowledged concerns expressed by residents of Igbokoda in Ondo state over the potential environmental impact of last Monday’s plane crash in the community’s swamps.

The response follows an outcry by Afolabi Odidiomo, the traditional ruler of Igbokoda, who said the community is facing a health crisis in the aftermath of the crash.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the monarch said the decaying bodies of crash victims were polluting the swamp, a tributary linked to the community’s potable water reserves.

“The concern of everybody in this community today is that our government spent time, energy, money, and effort looking for people that had been chopped into pieces by the crash. The pieces that are floating everywhere in our rivers. The pieces that have decayed left so much stench that is unbelievable,” the monarch said.

“Going close to the river is so scary now for children who usually go to swim when they return from school, because they see human flesh everywhere as they swim. Fish are also dying everywhere.”

In a statement on Thursday, Ehimen Ejodame, NAF director of public relations and information, said the air force is not taking the concerns lightly.

“The NAF recognises the discomfort, anxiety and uncertainty such circumstances may cause and assures the affected community that their concerns are being taken seriously,” the statement reads.

The NAF 931 aircraft, which was carrying 25 passengers, plunged into the Igbokoda swamps on October 5, 2026.

Ejodame said the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

He added that search-and-rescue procedures were immediately activated, with response efforts coordinated with relevant authorities to locate and account for everyone on board.

Kelvin Aneke, chief of air staff, has since directed a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.

The Ondo state government subsequently deployed two specialised swamp buggies to aid the recovery of the aircraft wreckage.

As of Wednesday, no survivors had been found, according to Ejodame.

He said search-and-recovery operations were ongoing, adding that the NAF was working with relevant partner agencies to ensure the safe and orderly recovery of the wreckage.

Ejodame said the NAF would engage the appropriate environmental and public health authorities, alongside other relevant agencies, after the recovery operation to assess the situation and coordinate appropriate action on any identified environmental concerns.

“The NAF remains concerned about the wellbeing of the affected community and is committed to constructive engagement with relevant stakeholders to ensure that appropriate measures are taken in the interest of public health, safety and environmental wellbeing,” he added.