The Senate has called on the Federal Government to prioritize adequate funding for routine aircraft maintenance and the systematic replacement of ageing military platforms to enhance operational safety and prevent further loss of service personnel.
The directive comes as the Upper Chamber officially launched a comprehensive legislative inquiry into military maintenance budgets and the airworthiness of state fleets following the fatal Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The resolutions followed a motion moved by Senator Osita Ngwu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Air Force, concerning the October 5, 2026 crash of a NAF ATR-42 aircraft (tail number NGR 931) near the Naval Base in Ilaje Local Government Area, which claimed 25 lives during a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos.
The Senate mandated its Joint Committees on Air Force and Aviation to conduct a full scale audit examining maintenance funding, serviceability records, and safety protocols for all military and presidential aircraft.
The Committee members have been directed to inspect the Igbokoda crash site, engage NAF leadership, and review operational compliance with international aviation safety standards.
The Senate requested the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) to complete a transparent investigation into the immediate and root causes of the incident and make their findings public.
Highlighting that airworthiness and operational readiness are vital to national security and intelligence gathering, Senator Ngwu warned that chronic funding shortfalls and delayed fleet modernization expose personnel to unacceptable risks.
The Senate emphasized that decisive legislative scrutiny, combined with transparent inter-agency reporting, is necessary to rectify existing gaps in maintenance funding and restore safety standards across national defense operations.
