NAF Crash Victim Isa Adeshina Dies 9 Days After Emerging as Best Graduating Cadet
- Flying Officer Isa Muyiwa Adeshina was commissioned as the best graduating cadet of Branch Commission Course 3 just nine days before the crash
- Adeshina had served in the Nigerian Air Force for over a decade before earning his commission, rising from air intelligence operator to sergeant
- Before joining the military, Adeshina worked as a physics teacher and vice-principal at an Islamic college in Lagos, where he was deeply beloved
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Ondo State - Flying Officer Isa Muyiwa Adeshina had spent more than a decade working his way up through the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) before finally achieving his goal of becoming a commissioned officer. Nine days later, he was dead.
Adeshina was among the 25 people killed when the NAF 931, an ATR-42 aircraft, went down in the swamps of the Igbokoda area of Ondo State in the early hours of Monday.
Source: Twitter
The NAF confirmed he was the only flying officer on board the ill-fated flight.
As reported by TheCable, Adesina was commissioned on September 26 at the passing-out parade of cadets at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) headquarters in Kaduna, where he received an award from Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Adeshina had distinguished himself as the best graduating cadet of Branch Commission Course (BC) 3, earning his commission into the NAF in the air intelligence speciality.
From enlisted soldier to commissioned officer
Adeshina first joined the NAF in August 2010 as a member of Basic Military Training Course (BMTC) 27, beginning his career as an air intelligence operator.
He was promoted to sergeant in September 2025 and was subsequently selected for branch commissioning, a pathway that allows serving personnel to become officers.
According to a social media account by Anas Ahmerd, Adeshina was travelling to visit his family in Lagos and had yet to report to his official posting when the crash occurred.
Before his military career, Adeshina made a mark in the classroom. Between 2004 and 2010, he worked at As-Siraat Comprehensive College, an Islamic school in the Amukoko area of Lagos, where he taught physics and mathematics before rising to the position of vice-principal.
Ustadh Ahmad, the school's proprietor, told TheCable that Adeshina's dedication set him apart from the start.
"He was the vice-principal of the school then. He was such a very intelligent and diligent man," Ahmad said.
Ahmad recalled that Adeshina's departure for the Air Force programme was met with resistance from parents who did not want to lose him.
"He was so loved by the parents to the extent that when he wanted to leave the school for the Air Force programme, many parents pleaded that we should do everything to retain him," he said.
"He is such an intelligent guy, very brilliant. So, I was not surprised to see him having promotions and all in the military. It's so unfortunate."
Ahmad added that Adeshina, who hailed from Iwo in Osun State, was survived by his mother.
Tributes from former students
Former students paid tribute to Adeshina on social media following news of his death. Lawal Kaothar wrote on Facebook:
"He was one of the foundations that built us in As-siraat Comprehensive College."
Ibrahim Damilola, another former student, said Adeshina's personal stories about faith stayed with him long after leaving school.
"His story deeply inspired me, and from my Junior Secondary School days, it encouraged me to remain consistent with my own Salat. I will always be grateful for that lesson," Damilola wrote.
Source: Twitter
NAF releases names of 25 victims in Ondo plane crash
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Air Force confirmed that all 25 people on board NAF 931, including five crew members, died after the aircraft went down in Ondo State.
The ATR 42 aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in the Igbokoda area.
Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke ordered a full investigation and opened a condolence register at NAF Headquarters in Abuja.
Source: Legit.ng
