NAF Plane Crash in Ondo: Air Chief Orders Probe as Search for Wreckage Continues
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, has set up a panel to investigate the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft. The plane went down at Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area in Ondo State. Aneke announced the probe on Thursday, October 8, during a visit to the crash site. Three days after the crash, there is no longer any hope of finding survivors.
How the NAF ATR-42 Crashed in Igbokoda
The aircraft, with tail number NAF 931, vanished from radar shortly after taking off from Benin City on Monday, October 5, 2026. The Air Force said it was on a routine mission to Lagos. According to Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane at 9:13 a.m.
The wreckage was found in a swampy area close to the naval base at Igbokoda, a riverside town in Ilaje, an oil-producing area of southern Nigeria. A resident told AFP that a person fishing in the swamp alerted the naval base and the town after the plane came down. The Ilaje Local Government Chairman, Maurice Oripelaye, said the aircraft was burnt in the crash. Early reports wrongly described it as a helicopter.
The ATR-42 is a twin-engine turboprop. Its manufacturer says it can carry between 30 and 50 passengers. The Nigerian military uses the type for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and to move personnel and supplies. Aviation Safety Network lists the crashed plane as an ATR 42 MP Surveyor operated by the Air Force’s 107 Air Maritime Group.
Ondo Plane Crash Death Toll: 25 or 32?
Officials have given different figures for the number of people on board. Keyamo first said 32 people were on the plane. President Bola Tinubu also said all 32 on board were killed. The Air Force later said 20 passengers and five crew members, 25 in all, were on board and that none survived. Officials have not yet explained the difference. The Air Force has since released the names of 25 victims.
Recovery Efforts Stall in Ondo Swamp
Recovery has been slow because of the terrain. Heavy machinery has cleared the surrounding bush and dug deep into the swamp, but the plane’s main body is still buried in mud. So far, rescuers have brought out only torn clothing, human remains and fragments of the plane’s panels.
The Ondo State Government sent two swamp buggies to reach the site and help dig out the wreckage. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has voiced concern that, despite three days of effort, rescue teams have still not found the main body of the plane.
Air Chief Aneke: “This Is Not the Time to Start Speculating”
At the site, Aneke described the crash as a great loss. He said the investigation panel will include military and civilian safety experts, the NTSB, accident and emergency management officials, and retired and experienced Air Force officers. He gave no timeline for the probe.
He also urged the public not to guess at the cause. The victims served the nation, he said, and the best way to honour them is to let specialists establish what went wrong.
Aneke spoke with visible emotion. He said he knew everyone on the flight and every member of the crew personally, and that he and his family had flown on the same aircraft. He called the crew highly trained, professional and intelligent officers. He promised that the Air Force will do everything possible to support the bereaved families.
He also praised the people and government of Ondo State. He noted that local residents were the first responders and said Nigerians always come together in times of tragedy.
Tinubu Declares National Mourning, Calls for Investigation
President Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning and ordered flags flown at half-mast across the country. He also directed the Air Force to begin a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences.
Activist and politician Omoyele Sowore called for a transparent investigation into both the cause of the crash and the quality of the emergency response.