A Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft with tail number NGR 931 crashed on Monday morning near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, with all 32 persons on board feared dead, according to sources at the scene.
Preliminary information indicates the aircraft was conveying 25 passengers and 7 crew members on a routine mission from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos when it went down.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the incident, disclosing that Air Traffic Controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 9:13 a.m. after all efforts to establish radio contact proved abortive.
“Subsequently, 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,” Keyamo said.
The Nigerian Air Force also confirmed ownership of the aircraft, stating it was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred on October 5, 2026, and that it had activated an immediate Search and Rescue operation in coordination with relevant authorities.
Sources said some of the passengers were military officers travelling with members of their families. The crash occurred in a swampy, riverine area, prompting a joint response from the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force and local residents.
While local sources claim all 32 occupants died, the NAF and the Aviation Ministry had not officially confirmed casualty figures as of press time, stating only that rescue operations were ongoing and further details would be communicated in due course.
Keyamo noted that control and regulation of military aircraft were outside the authority of his ministry and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, but said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged full cooperation.