Ondo air crash: Reps Air Force committee chairman urges calm
The Chairman of the House of Reps Committee on Air Force has urged Nigerians to remain calm following the crash of a NAF aircraft in Ondo State. Read More:…
The Nigerian Air Force operates a fleet of transport and surveillance aircraft, including ATR-42 planes, which are used for logistics, troop movement and reconnaissance, including missions tied to the fight against insurgency and banditry in various parts of the country. Air mishaps involving military aircraft have occurred periodically in Nigeria, often drawing scrutiny over aircraft maintenance, ageing fleets and the military's crash-response protocols, and they tend to generate public anxiety given the sensitive nature of NAF operations.
The House of Representatives Committee on Air Force provides legislative oversight of the NAF, including its budget, equipment procurement and operational readiness, and its chairman's public statements often serve to manage information flow to the public while official investigations are ongoing. Both reports agree that the committee chairman, Rep. Kabiru Usman Alhassan, responded to news of the crash by appealing for calm amid rescue efforts, though neither account yet details the number of casualties, the cause of the crash, or the identities of those on board, information likely to emerge as NAF and the National Assembly issue further updates.