Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured families of the military personnel killed in Monday’s Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State that the Federal Government will continue to support them beyond the immediate period of mourning.
Shettima said the nation owed an enduring debt of gratitude to the fallen personnel, stressing that their families would not be left to bear the consequences of their loss alone.
The Vice President spoke in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, as tributes continued to follow the fatal NAF aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
He said the victims were more than military personnel, describing them as family members whose sudden deaths had left loved ones facing profound grief.
“Thirty-two of our compatriots left on a routine mission in the service of their country.
“They were colleagues, friends and comrades. But beyond the uniforms they wore and the ranks they held, they were husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.”
Shettima added, “Somewhere today, there is an empty chair. Somewhere, a family is still trying to comprehend the sudden silence left by someone who was expected to return home. These are the human faces of the supreme sacrifice we speak about as a nation.”
He said Nigeria had a responsibility to remember those who paid the ultimate price while serving the country and to honour the families they left behind.
“We cannot ask the bereaved to be strong today. Grief does not obey instructions.
“We can only assure them that Nigeria remembers, Nigeria mourns with them, and Nigeria will stand beside them beyond these days of mourning,” noted VP Shettima.
The Vice President also addressed members of the Nigerian Air Force, acknowledging the personal impact of losing colleagues in the crash.
“To the men and women of the Nigerian Air Force, we know that this loss is yours in a particularly personal way.
“Your fallen colleagues have paid the supreme price. A grateful nation honours their courage, their service and the families who shared them with Nigeria,” he said.
Shettima prayed for the repose of the deceased and for strength and comfort for their families, colleagues and other loved ones.
He also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s response to the crash, noting that President Bola Tinubu had declared three days of national mourning, ordered flags to be flown at half-mast nationwide and directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The ATR-42 aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda while travelling from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos on a routine mission.
The Nigerian Airforce said 25 people aboard, comprising 20passengers and five crew members, were killed in the accident.
