More than a week after a Nigerian Air Force plane crashed in southwest Nigeria, killing all 25 people on board, families of the victims say they remain without clear information on the cause of the accident or the progress of recovery efforts. The aircraft went down on October 5 while on a routine flight between Benin City and Lagos, carrying 19 military personnel and six civilians.

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a formal investigation into the crash, but relatives report receiving little communication from authorities. Military teams continue to search for wreckage and human remains in challenging swampy terrain near the crash site, but updates have been sparse.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) stated that the aircraft lost radar contact while flying in a remote area, but has not released details regarding the cause of the crash. The flight had originated from Abuja but stopped in Benin City due to a mechanical issue, according to family accounts. Esther Anii, a sergeant in the Nigerian Air Force and one of the victims, sent messages on the morning of the crash to her brother, Victor Anii, a software developer based in London, describing delays and her consideration of continuing the trip by road due to the aircraft fault.

“We didn’t know what was going on. We just knew we couldn’t reach her, and her husband couldn’t reach some of his friends on the flight,” Victor Anii said. The family only learned of her death the following day when the Air Force released a list of those who died in the crash.

Frustrated by what he described as inadequate communication and support from the military, Victor Anii publicly criticized the Nigerian Air Force’s response to the tragedy. Two days after his video appeal, an Air Force commander visited the family in Abuja with two envelopes—one containing a condolence letter and the other suspected to hold financial assistance, which the family declined to open.

NAF spokesperson Ehiemen Ejodame referred to previous Air Force statements affirming their commitment to assisting families and intensifying search and recovery operations but provided no new information. Families continue to await updates on the investigation and the identification of remains amid the difficult circumstances.