“Why is the Air Force lying?” — Brother of plane crash victim accuses NAF of flying a faulty aircraft

The brother of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) sergeant who died in a plane crash has accused the military service of flying a faulty aircraft and allegedly misrepresenting the circumstances surrounding the incident.

In a viral video, the grieving man alleged that the aircraft had developed a technical fault before the crash but was still allowed to continue its journey.

He also questioned the Air Force’s description of the flight as a routine mission, insisting that the aircraft had travelled from Abuja and stopped in Benin City, Edo State, for repairs.

The man, who said he had lost his sister in the incident, expressed anger over what he described as a lack of communication from the Nigerian Air Force, despite being the next of kin.

He also raised concerns about the welfare of military personnel, including delayed salary payments and the financial difficulties his sister allegedly experienced while serving.

Brother alleges aircraft developed a fault before the crash

Speaking in the video, the victim’s brother questioned why an aircraft with a reported technical problem was allowed to fly.

“Who flies a faulty aircraft? The Nigerian Air Force. They flew a faulty aircraft that crashed, and now they have lied about it. They tried to make the situation seem less severe, and now there is damage control everywhere,” he said.

He described the incident as an avoidable tragedy that had plunged several families into mourning.

“The situation that should have been avoided has put my family and the families of other personnel and civilians into mourning. I lost my sister, who was a sergeant in the Nigerian Air Force, to this tragic incident caused by the Nigerian Air Force,” he alleged.

The grieving man said he intended to present evidence to support his claims, adding that he had been waiting since Monday to see how the authorities would respond.

“My family has been torn apart, along with the families of other civilians and personnel involved in this incident, and it is sad,” he said.

Shares sister’s last messages

The man said his sister’s last messages to him on Monday contained information he believed was important to understanding what happened before the crash.

He explained that he wanted the public to take note of two things from the messages, particularly the alleged technical problem with the aircraft and his sister’s financial situation.

According to him, the aircraft was travelling from Abuja to Lagos when it developed a fault and stopped in Benin City on Sunday night for checks.

“As she said in the message, there was a snag. A snag is a technical or mechanical fault that needs to be checked, and they stopped in Benin,” he said.

He alleged that the personnel were asked to wait overnight before continuing their journey.

“They stopped in Benin to check the aircraft on Sunday night. They were asked to wait, sleep and then continue their journey,” he added.

The man said he had spoken with people from the village where the incident occurred and had received videos and pictures from local residents.

He maintained that the materials could help establish what happened, although the allegations have not been independently verified.

Questions NAF’s description of the flight

The victim’s brother challenged the Nigerian Air Force’s alleged description of the flight as a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.

He specifically addressed the Air Force leadership, questioning why the aircraft was allowed to continue its journey if it had developed a technical problem.

“How is the Nigerian Air Force putting this out there, saying it was a routine mission from Benin to Lagos? That wasn’t a routine mission, Mr Sunday Aneke. That wasn’t a routine mission,” he said.

“That was a flight coming from Abuja, and I can’t find the words because I’ve been crying. I’ve been crying. My sister is the best thing that ever happened to me.”

He also questioned the circumstances under which the aircraft was permitted to proceed to Lagos.

“What is really going on, Nigerian Air Force? Mr Sunday Aneke, who gave the command for them to take the aircraft to Lagos?” he asked.

The man said he wished his sister had not boarded the aircraft, claiming that she would not have entered it if she had known what was going to happen.

He explained that he had sent her money shortly before the aircraft took off.

“Unfortunately, the time I sent her the money and the time the aircraft took off were just five or 10 minutes apart,” he said.

He suggested that the personnel might have been persuaded to proceed with the journey despite the alleged technical problem.

Says sister reported aircraft problems

The man further claimed that aircraft faults and repair work were not unusual within the Nigerian Air Force.

“I know how they operate. Every time the C-130 has a fault, every time the ALT has a fault, and every time other aircraft have faults, there are always technicians working on them. The record is there,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to examine publicly available reports of military aircraft crashes over the years, arguing that the frequency of such incidents warranted greater scrutiny.

“You will go online and check the number of crashes the Air Force has had. They have had crashes upon crashes upon crashes. In the last 10 years, you can go online and check how many crashes they have had. It’s public news,” he added.

The man said his sister had informed him that she did not know what was wrong with the aircraft and had asked him to send her money.

He claimed that he sent the money immediately but questioned why the aircraft was subsequently allowed to continue its journey.

“My sister told me on that call that she did not know what was wrong with the aircraft. She asked me to send her money, and I sent her money immediately,” he said.

“Why did you go ahead? Who was the commander who ordered this aircraft to be moved to Lagos? Who is the commander?”

Questions financial welfare of Air Force personnel

Beyond the alleged aircraft fault, the man expressed concern about his sister’s financial struggles despite serving in the Nigerian Air Force for more than 11 years.

He questioned how a sergeant in the military could have less than ₦17,000 in her account, saying the issue had troubled him for years.

“How does a sergeant in the Nigerian Air Force not have ₦17,000 in their account? This has been something I’ve been battling with for years and years with my sister. My sister never has money,” he said.

He claimed that his sister frequently struggled financially and depended on him for assistance, including money for basic needs.

According to him, she received her salary around the middle of the month, but he alleged that payments were not always made regularly.

He estimated that her annual income was about ₦3.5 million or possibly less, although he acknowledged that the figure could vary if her salary had been increased.

“For a married woman who has children, I don’t know what to do,” he said.

The man also questioned whether the military adequately compensated its personnel for their work.

“How much is her salary? Her annual income is not up to ₦3 million or ₦4 million. I guess it’s about ₦3.5 million, perhaps at most, if they have increased her salary,” he said.

He compared the amount military personnel allegedly earned with the revenue he believed some small-scale traders could generate, arguing that the salaries were inadequate and not always paid on time.

“What is ₦250,000 or ₦300,000 that a pepper seller does not make in revenue in a month? And yet, the salary does not even come regularly,” he said.

He recalled that his sister had called him on the 18th of a month to ask for money to buy food, claiming that she had not received the previous month’s salary.

“Imagine the last time she called me. She was begging me for money to feed on the 18th of the month, and they had not paid the previous month’s salary,” he added.

Alleges delayed salaries and indebtedness

The grieving man also alleged that Nigerian Air Force personnel had not received their previous month’s salaries at the time he recorded the video.

He suggested that the alleged delay could explain why his sister did not have ₦17,000 in her account.

“Do you know that, even now, at this very moment, the Nigerian Air Force has not paid last month’s salary? As of the fifth or sixth, why would someone who is working not have ₦17,000? It is probably because they have not paid the salary,” he said.

He claimed that both commissioned and non-commissioned personnel struggled with debt and accused the military of failing to address their financial difficulties adequately.

“They all live in debt. Both the commissioned and non-commissioned personnel live in debt, yet they think they are living life. They have been brainwashed. These personnel have been brainwashed. They don’t even have anywhere to turn or know what to do,” he alleged.

He said he had repeatedly urged his sister to leave the military because of the financial difficulties she faced, but she continued to defend her decision to remain in service.

“I have been begging my sister for years and years. I’ve told her, ‘Please leave this job. Leave this job.’ She keeps giving me excuses on behalf of the Air Force. She keeps giving me excuses. She says she needs to retire and do this or that, and that it’s not that bad,” he said.

Says family has received no information

The victim’s brother expressed frustration over what he described as the Nigerian Air Force’s failure to provide information to the family several days after the incident.

He said the military had reportedly promised to take care of the children affected by the tragedy but claimed that he had not received any communication despite being the victim’s next of kin.

“Now you people are saying you will take care of the kids and all that. Meanwhile, it’s been five days, and I am the next of kin. I’ve not gotten any information. I’ve not gotten any news. I mean, nothing from you guys. Nothing,” he said.

He questioned how he was expected to cope with the loss and comfort his parents, particularly his mother, who had lost her first child.

“How am I supposed to do this? How am I supposed to console my mother? How am I supposed to console my mother, who has lost her first child, her first child?” he asked.

He also said he was struggling to come to terms with the incident and the reported difficulty in locating his sister’s remains.

“My sister’s body can’t be found. It can’t be found. They can’t find their bodies scattered everywhere,” he said.

He maintained that videos and pictures sent to him by local residents could provide further information about the aftermath of the crash.

Demands answers from Air Force leadership

The man said he was willing to assist the Nigerian Air Force with its investigation, insisting that he had evidence suggesting the aircraft had travelled from Abuja and stopped in Benin City before the incident.

“But Nigerian Air Force, you people say you are investigating this whole situation. I would help you with your investigation because I have proof that this aircraft was coming all the way from Abuja,” he said.

“It was coming all the way from Abuja. It stopped in Benin on Sunday night so that it could be fixed, and it was unfixable,” he added, referring to what he said his sister had told him.

He demanded to know who authorised the aircraft to continue to Lagos despite the alleged technical problems.

He also expressed frustration over what he described as the military’s failure to provide meaningful assistance to the affected families.

“You people cannot do anything for me, even for our kids. There is nothing you people can do because there is nothing you people have done,” he said.

The man insisted that the incident was not the first of its kind and called on the Air Force to address the circumstances surrounding military aircraft crashes and the welfare of its personnel.

“This is not the first time this is happening. This is not the first time this is happening,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, he accused the military of repeatedly exposing its personnel to danger.

“Now, this has happened. How do I go from here? I don’t know how to console my parents. I don’t know. This is so sad.

“Air Force, what have you people done? What have you people been doing? You people are killing your personnel every now and then. You people keep killing your personnel,” he said.

The allegations in the viral video, including claims about the aircraft’s condition, salary payments and the circumstances surrounding the flight, have not been independently established in the account provided.

Watch the video here…

Brother of one of the Nigerian Air Force officers who lost their lives in a plane crash has accused the Air Force of flying a faulty aircraft and doing damage control. pic.twitter.com/TAcdzC4Y9T

— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) October 11, 2026