The Green Heroes Foundation has unveiled a memorial cenotaph at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja in honour of military personnel who died in the Nigerian Air Force C-130 crash 34 years ago.
The foundation’s Chairman, retired Maj.-Gen. Shehu Yusuf, on Saturday September 26, said the monument was erected after the organisation discovered that there was no memorial at the cemetery commemorating the victims of the Sept. 26, 1992 tragedy. He said the cenotaph would preserve the memory of the fallen personnel, with annual wreath-laying ceremonies planned for every Sept. 26.
The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, represented by AVM Abdullahi Yaro, described the cenotaph as a permanent testament to the service and sacrifice of the victims. Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, represented by Rear Adm. Gideon Kachim, also said the monument would strengthen the armed forces’ institutional memory and provide a place for families, serving personnel and future generations to remember the fallen.
The C-130 aircraft, designated NAF 911, crashed shortly after take-off from Lagos on Sept. 26, 1992, while carrying military personnel and other passengers travelling towards Kaduna and Jos, with no survivors. Yusuf said the tragedy also highlighted the importance of aviation safety and ensuring that aircraft and engines were in proper condition before operations, while the foundation pledged continued support for veterans, military families and families of fallen heroes.
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