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Friends and family members of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilot, Flt. Lt. Taiwo Olufemi Asaniyi, are grief-stricken as the young officer, who was about to wed, died in the ill-fated Beachcraft 350 aircraft that crashed at the Kaduna International Airport on Friday.
Asaniyi was the pilot of the jet which also claimed the lives of his co-pilot, Flt. Lt. Alfred Ayodeji Olufade, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and eight others.
It was also gathered that the co-pilot, Olufade, got married two months ago.
Friends and associates of Asaniyi have taken to social media to mourn the officer.
@_victor_kings, wrote: “Flight lieutenant T.O Asaniyi. He flew the plane, we had his introduction in March. I was going to be his best man.”
“Ahhh, no now, not Mr Asaniyi. Still saw his WhatsApp status update this week. Dear Lord!” @blessnoyiz said.
“May their soul rest in peace. My condolences,” @bcube234 tweeted.
Meanwhile officials of NAF on Friday night paid a condolence visit to the family of Asaniyi in Ibadan.
Air Commodore Peter Simeon, who is the Commander of the 671 NAF base detachment, Akobo, Ibadan, led other officers to the late pilot’s residence to console the aged parents.
Responding on behalf of the family, Deacon S. Adeleke, who thanked the NAF for the early visit, appealed for the immortalisation of all the people that lost their lives in the crash
He admonished government to always remember the families of the deceased.