A Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft carrying thirty-two people came down in a swamp in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday, 5 October 2026, and the Governor of the State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said no survivor had been found by the time he spoke.
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared three days of national mourning for the Air Force personnel who died, directed that flags be flown at half-mast across the country, and ordered the Air Force to begin an immediate investigation into the cause.
The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was on what the Air Force described as a routine mission from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos.
Contact Lost At 9.13 a.m.
The first public account came from the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, who said air traffic controllers had lost contact with the aircraft.
“I regret to inform the general public that Air Traffic Controllers have informed me of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, en route Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours earlier today. All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive,” he said in a statement issued by the ministry.
He subsequently confirmed that the aircraft had come down. “Information, however, confirmed that the military aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State. The wreckage has been located, and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” he said.
Keyamo said preliminary information indicated that twenty-five passengers and seven crew members were on board, bringing the total to thirty-two.
The Air Force Confirms The Aircraft Is Its Own
The Nigerian Air Force then confirmed that the aircraft belonged to the service, in a statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame.
“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has activated an immediate Search and Rescue operation following an ATR-42 aircraft accident in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on 5 October 2026,” the statement read.
“The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred. Search and Rescue operations, in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies, are currently ongoing.
“The NAF is committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing Search and Rescue efforts. Further details will be communicated in due course.”
The statement did not disclose the number of casualties or the condition of those on board.
“They Could Not See Any Living Soul”
Speaking on Channels Television, Governor Aiyedatiwa said local residents, security personnel and emergency responders had searched the site without finding anyone alive.
He said news of the crash reached him at about 10.30 a.m., when the chairman of the local government contacted him.
According to the governor, residents across the river from the Nigerian Navy base at Igbokoda heard a loud sound and then saw the aircraft dive into a swampy area.
He said naval personnel initially held back to establish whether there was fire or an explosion before approaching. “When they noticed that it’s just an accident, they didn’t see any sign of fire. So they moved in, trying to see if they could rescue the people,” he said.
Officials of the state emergency management agency, local residents and personnel of the Amotekun Corps joined the search.
“But from the information we got, no single life was saved up to this moment. They could not see any living soul that was in that aircraft,” the governor said.
How They Knew It Was A Military Aircraft
Aiyedatiwa said the identification of the aircraft came from what searchers found in the swamp.
“They saw the ruins, some of the wreckage from the wings of the aircraft, you know, some ID cards, I was told, and then uniform. That was when they knew it was a military aircraft,” he said.
He described the day as a painful one, and said the location made it harder.
“So it’s a sad situation today. And we’re all really, really aggrieved as Nigerians. And also it happens in my own state — not just my state, even in my own local government where I’m from,” he said.
Of those on board, he said: “It happens to Nigerian military officers who are assigned to protect the territorial integrity of our country and, you know, involving such accidents. So painful. So painful, but so sad.”
Three Days Of Mourning, And Flags At Half-Mast
President Tinubu declared three days of national mourning and directed that flags be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.
In a condolence message to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and to personnel of the Air Force, the President described the crash as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and the country.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he said.
He directed an investigation. “The Chief of Air Staff has briefed me, and I have directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences,” the President said.
He commended the Air Force for activating a search and rescue operation.
“No Regulatory Authority Over Military Aircraft”
Keyamo made clear the limits of his ministry’s role, stating that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority do not have regulatory authority over military aircraft.
He said he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff and pledged the ministry’s cooperation and assistance with the rescue effort.
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