Sowore Expresses Sadness Over NAF Aircraft Crash, Questions Emergency Response

Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has expressed deep sadness over the crash of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State, extending his sympathies to the families and loved ones of those aboard the aircraft and personnel of the Nigerian Air Force affected by the tragedy.

Sowore, in a post on his verified Facebook page on Monday evening, however, raised questions about Nigeria’s emergency preparedness and the response to the crash, saying images and videos emerging from the scene had highlighted concerns about the country’s capacity to respond rapidly and effectively to major disasters.
The aircraft, which was reportedly carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members, crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State after losing contact with air traffic controllers while travelling from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos.

Reacting to the incident, Sowore said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and expressed concern for those aboard the aircraft, while acknowledging the impact of the incident on their families and Nigerian Air Force personnel.
“My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of everyone aboard this aircraft, and to the officers and personnel of the @NigeriaAirforce affected by this terrible tragedy,” he wrote.

Beyond expressing his condolences, however, the AAC presidential candidate questioned the effectiveness of the emergency response at the crash site.
He said the videos and images emerging from the area raised “serious questions about Nigeria’s emergency preparedness and our capacity to respond rapidly and effectively to major disasters.”

According to him, a country of more than 200 million people should have properly equipped, highly trained and rapidly deployable emergency-response teams capable of reaching difficult terrain with the equipment required for search, rescue and recovery operations.

Sowore stressed that the circumstances surrounding the crash required a thorough and transparent investigation, but said such an investigation should not be limited to determining what caused the aircraft to crash.

He said the authorities should also examine the emergency response, including how quickly help arrived, the equipment available to responders, the obstacles encountered at the scene and whether lives could have been saved through a better-prepared emergency-response system.
“There must be a thorough and transparent investigation into what caused this crash,” Sowore said, adding that the emergency response should also be investigated.
He argued that while the loss of lives in a disaster was tragic, inadequate preparedness to respond to such an emergency could make the consequences even more painful.
“A disaster is tragic. Being unprepared to respond to one makes the tragedy even more painful,” he said.
Sowore concluded by reiterating his sympathy for everyone aboard the aircraft, their families and the communities affected by the crash.

The Nigerian Air Force confirmed the crash of the ATR-42 aircraft in Ondo State and said search-and-rescue operations were activated following the incident.
The aircraft was carrying 32 people in total — 25 passengers and seven crew members — when it crashed in the Igbokoda area. At the time of the initial reports, authorities had not officially confirmed the number of fatalities, with rescue and recovery efforts still ongoing.
The circumstances surrounding the crash are expected to be investigated by the relevant aviation and military authorities.