The Senate has called for a comprehensive audit of the Nigerian Air Force’s aircraft fleet and a review of maintenance funding following an October 5 crash in Ondo State that reportedly killed 25 people.

The upper chamber also wants the circumstances surrounding the accident investigated, with findings made public to establish the immediate and underlying causes and identify measures to prevent similar tragedies.

The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Air Force, Senator Osita Ngwu, during plenary on Tuesday.

Ngwu drew attention to the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, registration number NGR 931, near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The aircraft was reportedly on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos when the incident occurred on October 5.

The Senate expressed concern over recurring military aircraft accidents and their consequences for personnel, raising questions about the adequacy of maintenance funding, the condition of ageing aircraft and adherence to operational safety requirements.

It maintained that aircraft serviceability and airworthiness were essential to the military’s capacity to conduct intelligence operations, defend the country and respond to security threats.

As part of its response, the chamber mandated its committees on Air Force and Aviation to visit the crash site, engage relevant Nigerian Air Force authorities and undertake a comprehensive assessment of aircraft serviceability and airworthiness across the presidential and military fleets.

The lawmakers also urged the Federal Government to prioritise funding for routine aircraft maintenance and the replacement of ageing platforms, linking sustained investment in aviation safety to the protection of military personnel and operational effectiveness.

The Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau were further urged to investigate the accident and make their findings public.

The Senate said a transparent investigation was necessary to establish what went wrong and provide a basis for corrective action.

The proposed review of maintenance expenditure is expected to bring greater scrutiny to the relationship between budgetary allocations, the technical condition of military aircraft and the safety of flight operations.

The resolutions place aircraft maintenance, fleet renewal and accountability at the centre of the Senate’s response to the Ondo crash.