NAF keeps paying dead crew's salaries until families get benefits

The Nigerian Air Force has told families of the personnel who died in its 5 October crash at Igbokoda, Ondo State, that their loved ones' salaries will keep being paid until their death benefits are settled.

The promise was made on Wednesday at a meeting between Air Force leaders and the bereaved families, according to a statement posted on the service's X account by its spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame.

The aircraft, a NAF 931 ATR 42-500, went down at Igbokoda. PM News reported that all 25 people on board died. Other outlets did not give a figure.

Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, the Chief of Civil-Military Relations, stood in for the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, at the meeting.

Gabkwet said the salary arrangement was ordered by the Air Force chief and is meant to keep dependants financially steady while their benefits are processed.

"The Nigerian Air Force stands with you, and our thoughts and prayers remain with every family affected by this tragedy," Gabkwet said.

For an ordinary family, the death of a breadwinner often means months of waiting for entitlements. Keeping the salary running softens that gap.

Slow work at the crash site

Families were also briefed on the recovery operation. Gabkwet said the swampy, waterlogged ground and the difficulty of reaching the site have made the work hard, requiring pumping out water, engineering support and stabilising the area.

He said the Air Force will keep working with other agencies to recover what is left and to back a thorough investigation. He added that the service will not guess what caused the crash until the evidence has been properly examined.

The Air Force also brought in Christian chaplains and Muslim imams to pray with the families and offer spiritual guidance, and a consultant psychologist, Professor Ehize Odigie-Okpataku, held one-on-one counselling sessions.

Families were given time to raise their concerns and ask questions about the accident, the recovery and their welfare.

Aneke, in a message passed to the families, said their grief and questions matter and that the dignity of the dead personnel will stay central to the Air Force's response.

The service said it will keep talking to the families through set channels, including the Office of the Directorate of Veterans Affairs, which will guide them on welfare and paperwork.

What happens next

The recovery of the wreckage and the investigation continue. The Air Force has not said when the probe will end or when the death benefits will be paid.