ABUJA, Nigeria — All 32 people aboard a Nigerian Air Force twin-engine turboprop plane were killed when the aircraft crashed into a swampy region near Igbokoda in southwestern Ondo State on Monday morning, October 5, 2026. Authorities confirmed that 25 passengers—including military personnel and their families—and seven crew members perished in the disaster.
The aircraft, identified as an ATR-42 configured for maritime patrol and intelligence operations (registration NAF 931), was conducting a routine military transport and logistics flight from Benin Airport in Edo State to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Air traffic controllers lost radar contact with the plane at approximately 9:13 a.m. local time shortly after takeoff.
The impact occurred in a densely vegetated swamp opposite a naval base in Igbokoda. Local fishermen and residents who reported hearing a thunderous explosion alerted emergency authorities and naval personnel.
Rescue operations faced immediate challenges due to the treacherous terrain, forcing emergency teams, local fishermen, and military personnel to navigate the crash site using canoes and small boats. Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ordered emergency logistical support to assist military first responders in reaching the wreckage and securing the site.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, describing it as a "painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation." President Tinubu declared three days of national mourning, directing that all national flags fly at half-mast across the country.
The President directed Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar to immediately launch a full-scale investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash. Technical teams and crash investigators are working to recover flight data recorders to determine whether mechanical failure, weather conditions, or other factors caused the fatal plunge.
Aviation safety experts and opposition figures have renewed calls for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria's military air fleet following the crash, highlighting recurring maintenance challenges and aging infrastructure. Air Force officials maintained that NAF 931 had undergone standard pre-flight inspections, but assured the public that preliminary findings from the flight recorder analysis will be released promptly to ensure complete transparency.
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