Military Plane Crash: “My Late Sister Told Me The Aircraft Was Bad” – Broken Victim’s Brother

By Adesina Soyooye

Victor Ani, a brother of Sergeant Aisekegbe Esther Ani, a victim of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) plane cash has blamed the Nigeria Airforce for the death of his sister.

Recall that the  ill-fated aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State killing all on board. It is not yet confirmed if the body of any of the 25 souls on has been recovered as the aircraft sunk into the swamp. So far, what have been recovered are bits and pieces of human bodies and personal effects.

 Victor, Sergeant Ani’s brother, in an emotional voice lamented the devastating effect of his sister’s  death in the tragic incident, on the family, and put the blame on the   Airforce. “The Nigerian Airforce has killed my sister”, he lamented.

Disclosing the impact of her death on the family, he said it has torn the family apart.

Victor who spoke in a viral video said the pain the family is going through is indescribable, and added that it is the same pain the families of other victims were going through.

He said: “I lost my sister, who is a sergeant in the Nigerian Air Force, to this tragic incident caused by the Nigerian Air Force.

“The sad part is that I don’t have words. Since Monday, (October 5) I have been waiting and looking at what is going to happen. My family has been torn apart, including the families of other military personnel and civilians involved in this incident. It is sad.”

Victor alleged that the ill-fated aircraft was bad. According to him, his sister told him that the plane took off from Abuja on its way to Lagos, but developed a technical or mechanical fault which forced the aircraft to make an unscheduled stop in Benin.

Victor: “The aircraft was bad. The aircraft was coming from Abuja to Lagos, but she said there was a snag – a technical or mechanical error that needed to be checked – and they stopped in Benin.”

He disclosed that he sister asked him to send some money to him as she did not have more than N17,000 in her account. He wondered how come an Airforce Sergeant did not have more than that amount, and  revealed that at the time of the crash, she had not even received his September salary.

His sister’s body, he said, has not been recovered, and emphasized that the family remains “in deep anguish.”

His sister was the eldest of all of them, he lamented, and was very dear to him.

Victor: “My sister is the best thing that ever happened to me. She is the firstborn of our family; it is sad.”

In tears, he disclosed,  “Days after the crash, and I am the next of kin. I have not gotten any information. I have not gotten any news. Nothing from the guys [NAF]. How are we supposed to cope without any information?”

But reacting to the allegations,  Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, explained that a “thorough investigation is ongoing into the crash. Allegations raised by the deceased officer’s brother will form part of the ongoing probe by NAF authorities.

“A thorough investigation into the accident is ongoing. The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the issues raised, will be examined as part of the investigative process.

“Further information will be communicated as appropriate, while conclusions on the circumstances and causes of the accident will be guided by the findings of the investigation.”

He disclosed that the NAF has   begun efforts to locate the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), commonly known as the “Black Box,” of the ill-fated aircraft.

NAF ATR-42  crashed on October 5, 2026, throwing the Nigeria into national mourning. President Bola Tinubu, while mourning the tragedy, declared a three-day national mourning and ordered the lowering of the Nigerian flag at half mast nationwide.