Vice President Kashim Shettima has assured families of the Nigerian Air Force personnel who died in Monday’s aircraft crash in Ondo State that the Federal Government will continue to support them beyond the current period of mourning.
Shettima gave the assurance in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha.
He said the country owed the deceased personnel and their families a lasting debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
According to him, the victims were not merely military personnel but husbands, wives, parents, children, siblings and friends whose sudden deaths had left painful gaps in their families.
“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 said.
The Vice President acknowledged the difficulty faced by the bereaved families, noting that grief could not be overcome through instructions or expectations of immediate strength.
“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,” he added.
Shettima also commiserated with the Nigerian Air Force, describing the incident as a deeply personal loss for the service and its personnel.
“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.
He prayed for the repose of the victims’ souls and asked God to grant their families, colleagues and loved ones the strength to cope with the loss.
The Vice President also reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s response to the incident.
Tinubu had declared a three-day period of national mourning and directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the fallen personnel.
The President also ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, with registration number NGR 931, crashed near a naval facility in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday.
The aircraft was reportedly travelling from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos on a routine mission when the incident occurred.
All 32 people aboard the aircraft, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members, were killed in the crash.
