Nigerian Military Aircraft Carrying 32 Crashes in Ondo, All On Board Confirmed Dead
A Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft carrying 32 people has crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, with all passengers and crew members on board confirmed dead.
The aircraft, which was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members, crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area, while travelling from Benin City to Lagos on Monday, October 5, 2026.
The incident initially generated confusion, with some early reports describing the aircraft as a helicopter. The Nigerian Air Force subsequently identified it as an ATR-42 aircraft involved in a routine mission.
According to Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo, air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at approximately 9:13am after it departed Benin and headed towards Lagos.
Attempts to establish communication with the aircraft by radio were unsuccessful before authorities received confirmation that it had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
The wreckage was subsequently located, prompting the activation of search-and-rescue operations involving the Nigerian Air Force and other relevant agencies.
Keyamo said preliminary information showed that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft, bringing the total number of people on board to 32.
The aircraft carried the tail number NGR 931, according to the aviation minister’s statement.
The Nigerian Air Force also confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 operating a routine mission from Benin to Lagos and said an immediate search-and-rescue operation had been activated following the accident.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed grief over the crash and mourned the Nigerian Air Force personnel involved in the accident.
In a statement from the State House, Tinubu described the incident as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and extended condolences to the families of those aboard the aircraft, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and the wider Nigerian Air Force.
The President also directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately begin a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash, saying the probe should help prevent similar incidents in the future.
He commended the first responders and the Ondo State Government for their response at the crash site.
The crash occurred in the coastal community of Igbokoda, an area within Ondo State’s Ilaje Local Government Area.
Earlier reports from the area indicated that the aircraft came down around a waterlogged or swampy location near the naval base, making the rescue and recovery operation particularly challenging.
Residents also reported hearing a loud sound before the aircraft went down, while emergency teams moved into the area to locate the wreckage and those on board.
The cause of the crash has not yet been established.
The Nigerian Air Force and other relevant authorities are expected to examine the aircraft, flight records, weather conditions and other circumstances surrounding the incident as part of the investigation ordered by the President.
The identities of all those who died had not been publicly released in the initial official statements.
The tragedy represents a major loss for the Nigerian Armed Forces and the families of the 32 people who were aboard the aircraft.
