By BONIFACE AKARAH

Save Nigeria Group USA (SNG-USA) has called for a transparent investigation into the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash that claimed 25 lives in Ondo State, while urging authorities to implement stronger aviation safety measures.

In a statement dated October 6, 2026 and signed by SNG-USA President Stephen Osemwegie, Media Director Victor Onyeka-Ben and Public Relations Director Autumn Miller, the group said it’was mourning the victims of the crash and called for a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The aircraft, identified as NAF 931, was reportedly conducting a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State, on Monday, October 5.

According to the statement, the Nigerian Air Force confirmed that 25 people — five crew members and 20 passengers — were aboard the aircraft, with no survivors recorded.

SNG-USA expressed condolences to the families, colleagues and communities affected by the tragedy, stressing that the victims “were not merely numbers” but people whose lives were deeply valued by their families, colleagues and the nation.

The group said It stood in solidarity with the bereaved families, the Nigerian Air Force, the Armed Forces of Nigeria and Nigerians affected by the incident.

It also acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive declaring three days of national mourning and ordering national flags to be flown at half-mast in honour of the victims.

The organisation said every military aviation accident resulting in loss of life required a rigorous examination of the factors involved.

“Every aircraft accident resulting in the loss of life demands a rigorous examination of the technical, operational, maintenance, human, and institutional factors involved,” the statement said.

SNG-USA called for the investigation to be “transparent, evidence-based” and followed by meaningful corrective action.

The group further urged the Nigerian Air Force to conduct comprehensive technical and operational reviews of its aviation assets, including aircraft maintenance, airworthiness, crew readiness, flight operations, safety management systems and emergency-response procedures.

It also called for lessons from the investigation to be translated into improvements in maintenance procedures, crew training, operational risk management, aircraft monitoring, communications and emergency response.

On technical cooperation, SNG-USA said Nigerian authorities should engage qualified national and international aviation-safety institutions where additional expertise was required.

The organisation, however, stressed that such cooperation should complement rather than undermine the authority of Nigerian institutions and the Nigerian Air Force in investigating the military aviation accident.

SNG-USA also called for sustained support for the bereaved families, including timely information, appropriate assistance and respect for their privacy and grief.

“Accountability and compassion must go hand in hand,” the group said, adding that honouring the victims required not only mourning their loss but also learning from the tragedy and taking reasonable measures to reduce the risk of similar incidents.

The organisation extended its condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased, the Chief of Air Staff, officers and personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and the people of Ondo State and Nigeria.