African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has argued that personnel responsible for maintaining and procuring Nigerian Air Force aircraft should not investigate the crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

Recall that the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, registration number NAF 931, crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, on October 5 during a routine mission from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos.

The Air Force confirmed that all 25 people on board, five crew members and 20 passengers, died in the crash.

It was reports that Sowore, in a post via his 𝕏 handle on Saturday, said he visited the crash site on Friday.

While calling for an independent investigation, Sowore questioned how authorities handled the crash site and wreckage, arguing the process could undermine efforts to establish what happened.

Sowore insisted that experts should recover and examine all parts of the aircraft to establish the cause of the crash.

He also expressed anger over the loss of life, adding that the incident should not be treated as a routine occurrence.

He said, “Those who are responsible for maintenance, procurements should not be the ones investigating what happened. We should bring outsiders.

“That’s not how to investigate accidents. How it is done all over the world is that every part of that aircraft must be retrieved and pinned back together by experts because if there had been a bomb blast, how would we know?

“Something went wrong, and it’s fundamental. And we are just looking at this and saying, oh, they have visited. No, it’s not a matter of the visitors. It’s a matter of the passengers. People died.”

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Violent rioters, many of whom were masked, confronted police at the edge of an anti-austerity march in Brussels. Police responded with water cannons and tear gas.

Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in the Belgian capital on Friday during an anti-austerity march organized by trade unions.

Masked protesters dressed in black threw rocks and other projectiles at police in Brussels. Anti-police slogans echoed through the streets, and similar graffiti covered nearby walls.

An AFP reporter witnessed two buses being attacked after the passengers were evacuated. The rioters smashed the windows and ripped out the seats. Meanwhile, youths set fire to trash cans, rental bikes, and scooters.

According to Reuters, firefighters extinguished several fires, including those on buses.

How did police respond to protests in Brussels?

The police said officers used water cannons and tear gas after young people on the outskirts of the protest targeted them with sticks and bottles.

“Several hundred youths gathered along with the demonstrators,” police said in a statement. “The atmosphere gradually became more tense and there were serious disturbances to public order.”

In a preliminary update, the police said they had arrested approximately 20 people, mostly minors.

Police also said the main trade union march had gone ahead peacefully. Before the rally, union head Bert Engelaar called on rioters to stay away from the protest.

“Those individuals have nothing to do with the message with which thousands of others come out on the streets,” Engelaar wrote on Facebook.

What are the government’s goals?

Chaotic scenes of violence occurred during a demonstration in which between 30,000 and 50,000 people participated. It was one of many nationwide union protests against planned austerity measures.

Belgium is burdened by substantial public debt and a persistent budget deficit. Led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever, the center-right government aims to find €10 billion ($11.2 billion) in savings by the end of its term in 2029.

Rather than imposing cuts in areas like health and hiking VAT, trade unions are pushing for the government to increase taxes on the highest earners.

The clashes in Brussels came after a week of tension in Liege, where authorities banned public gatherings after students clashed with police and vandalized shops. Over 200 people were arrested in Liege, and dozens of police officers were injured.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

Credits: DW.COM

Protesters clash with riot police during a national demonstration against government budget cuts and proposed reforms in Brussels, Belgium, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

The younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, Isaac, has expressed disappointment over a viral video showing Nigerian Army officers supervising the distribution of bread as part of a campaign by some politicians.

The widely circulated video showed soldiers managing crowds during free bread distribution exercises in a Yoruba-speaking area.

It was reports that the viral video also led to public criticism of the Nigerian military by many Nigerians, with many netizens accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly exploiting poverty to gain political support.

Reacting to the development in a video via his Facebook page, Fayose berated the Yorubas for allowing what he described as slavery and riding on tribalism.

Fayose also accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of allegedly weaponising poverty for the purpose of electoral gain.

He wrote, “Imagine the Nigerian Army supervising the sharing of bread to people that the same Tinubu government impoverished.

“How did we get to this height of weaponizing poverty for the purpose of electoral gain? Just imagine our beloved country.. APC administration is a disaster to Nigeria, especially Tinubu’s regime

“How could Yorubas allow this level of slavery to date and still riding on tribalism to be one?”

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