The Nigerian Air Force’s latest aircraft crash in Ondo State has added another deadly incident to a long history of military aviation accidents in Nigeria.
An NAF ATR-42 aircraft, NAF 931, crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area on 5th of October while flying from Benin City to Lagos on a routine mission.
The Federal Ministry of Aviation initially said 32 people were aboard, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members.
However, the Nigerian Air Force later confirmed that 25 people were on board, including five crew members and 20 passengers.
There were no survivors.
The crash occurred near the Naval Base in Igbokoda after air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft.
The wreckage was found in a swamp, where difficult terrain has slowed recovery operations.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, described the incident as “a deeply painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the nation.”
He expressed “heartfelt sympathies to the families, loved ones and colleagues” of those who died and assured the families of the service’s “full support during this difficult period.”
The Defence Headquarters also described the crash as “a painful loss to the entire Armed Forces and the nation,” saying an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause.
It appealed to the public to “refrain from speculations” while official procedures continue.
Nigerian Military Aircraft Crashes: A Timeline
The Igbokoda crash follows several other serious Nigerian military aircraft accidents.
In 1980, a Fokker F27 crashed in Forcados, Delta State, killing all 30 people aboard.
In 1992, a C-130H Hercules crashed in Ejigbo, Lagos, killing 159 people.
Other fatal incidents occurred in 1997, 2000, 2006 and 2015, while a Mi-35M helicopter crash in Borno killed five people in 2019.
In 2021, two separate King Air crashes killed seven people in February and 11 people, including then-Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, in May.
More recently, NAF aircraft accidents in 2022 and 2023 caused further deaths, including 11 people killed in the crash of an Mi-171E helicopter in Niger State in August 2023.
The cause of the Igbokoda crash remains under investigation.
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