Makinde Demands Probe Into NAF Aircraft Crash, Questions Military Welfare

Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, Governor Seyi Makinde, has called for a comprehensive investigation into the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near the Igbokoda Naval Base in Ondo State.

Makinde, through his presidential campaign organisation, said the crash, which reportedly claimed at least 25 lives, had renewed concerns over the condition of military equipment and the welfare of security personnel under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement issued by the Director of Strategic Communications of the Makinde-Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation, Richard Ihediwa, the campaign commended military personnel for their sacrifices while calling for answers over the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Ihediwa said, “The crash of military aircraft in Nigeria under the Tinubu administration is a serious national issue that again raises questions on the subjects of equipping as well as welfare of our military and other security agencies under this administration, despite the enormous resources at its disposal.”

The campaign also recalled the August 2023 crash of a Nigerian Air Force helicopter in Shiroro, Niger State, during a casualty evacuation operation involving wounded troops.

The organisation said the military should be adequately equipped and remunerated, given the resources available to the country.

It pledged that the welfare, training and equipping of the military and other security agencies would be prioritised under a Makinde-Daura administration.

The campaign expressed condolences to the military and families of those killed in the latest crash, while urging the authorities to conduct a wide-ranging investigation to establish the cause of the incident.

It also urged Nigerians to vote out what it described as the “misrule” of the Tinubu administration in the 2027 general election and support Makinde on the APM platform.