Flying Officer Commissioned Nine Days Before NAF Crash

Flying Officer, Isa Muyiwa Adeshina, one of the 25 people killed in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft crash in Ondo State, had only recently achieved his long-held dream of becoming a commissioned officer.

Adeshina was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force nine days before the aircraft, NAF 931, crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on Monday, killing everyone on board.

Military sources who spoke with The Cable said Adeshina emerged as the best graduating cadet of Branch Commission Course 3 and received his award from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during the cadets’ passing-out parade at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, on September 26.

His commissioning marked the beginning of what was expected to be a distinguished career as a flying officer.

Instead, his career was cut short barely nine days after he received his commission. According to the NAF, Adeshina was the only flying officer aboard the ill-fated aircraft.

Although his exact age was not immediately known, military sources said he joined the Air Force in August 2010 as a member of Basic Military Training Course 27.

He initially served as an air intelligence operator and rose through the ranks, attaining the rank of sergeant in September 2025.

His performance and academic record subsequently earned him selection for branch commissioning, a programme through which serving personnel are commissioned as officers.

He underwent further training at the NDA as a member of Branch Commission Course 3, where he emerged the best graduating cadet.

He was formally commissioned as a flying officer in the air intelligence speciality on September 26.

Friends and colleagues have since taken to social media to mourn him and recount memories of his final days.

A social media user, Anas Ahmerd, said Adeshina was reportedly travelling to Lagos to visit his family before proceeding to his official posting after completing his training.

Beyond his military career, Adeshina was also remembered as a teacher who made a lasting impression on his students.

Before joining the Air Force, he taught at As-Siraat Comprehensive College, an Islamic school in the Amukoko area of Lagos, where he later became vice-principal.

The school’s proprietor, Ustadh Ahmad, told TheCable that Adeshina started as a physics teacher before rising to vice-principal because of his diligence and commitment.

“He was the vice-principal of the school then. He was such a very intelligent and diligent man,” Ahmad said.

He said Adeshina worked at the school between 2004 and 2010, teaching physics and mathematics before joining the Nigerian Air Force.

According to him, parents highly regarded the teacher, and many pleaded with the school to retain him when he decided to join the Air Force.

Ahmad said, “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 was such a lovely guy. 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 said Adeshina was from Iwo, Osun State, although his family was based in Lagos, with some relatives later relocating to their hometown.

“He still has a mother,” he added.

One of Adeshina’s former students, Lawal Kaothar, described him as one of the pillars of As-Siraat Comprehensive College.

In a Facebook post mourning his former teacher, Kaothar wrote, “Ya Rabbi, your slave Isa Muyiwa Adeshina has returned to you. Forgive his shortcomings, grant him your mercy and make him an inmate of Jannah. He was one of the foundations that built us in As-siraat Comprehensive College.”

Another former student, Ibrahim Damilola, described Adeshina’s life as deeply inspiring.

“Some people leave this world, but their words and lessons continue to live in the lives they touched,” Damilola wrote.

He recalled Adeshina as one of his teachers during his junior secondary school years and said his lessons continued to influence him.

Damilola particularly remembered how the late officer shared his personal experiences with students while encouraging them to remain committed to their prayers.

“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,” he wrote.

He prayed for Adeshina’s forgiveness and eternal rest for the deceased.