NAF Air Crash: You Can’t Rule Out Anything — Commodore Dappa
The air chief has ordered a specialized panel as investigators work to determine whether sabotage, an air attack or bombing caused the crash.
- On Monday, October 5, 2026, a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, during a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos, killing all 25 people aboard.
- Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Aneke ordered a specialized panel of military and civilian safety experts to investigate, pledging the Nigerian Air Force will "leave no stones unturned" to determine the cause.
- Among the victims was Squadron Leader Ahamefule Man-Ugwueje, who died two weeks after marrying Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle, prompting Abia State Governor Alex Otti to express profound grief over the loss.
- Recovery teams struggle in swampy terrain where the aircraft's main body remains trapped beneath mud; retired naval officer Commodore Promise Dapper suggested sabotage cannot be ruled out, though officials urge patience.
- The 18-year-old ATR-42 aircraft returned to service in December 2024 following maintenance in Germany, a history that will be central to the military's safety review of operational protocols.
52 Articles
52 Articles
Obi visits NAF headquarters, signs crash condolence register
Former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, on Tuesday visited the Nigerian Air Force headquarters in Abuja to sign the condolence register for personnel who died in a recent military aircraft crash. Obi, who disclosed the visit in a post on his official X account, described the deaths as a painful loss to the nation. He said the visit provided him another opportunity to refl…
Taraba has lost gallant son - Kefas mourns military pilot
Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has mourned the death of Flight Lieutenant I.S. Bako, a Taraba indigene and co-pilot who died alongside other military personnel in an aircraft crash in Ondo State. Bako was among the victims of the ill-fated military aircraft accident which occurred recently in Ondo state, South-West Nigeria. In a condolence […] Taraba has lost gallant son – Kefas mourns military pilot
Otti mourns Abia-born Squadron Leader Man-Ugwueje, commiserates with FG over plane crash
In a statement on Tuesday by Ferdinand Ekeoma, his special adviser on media and publicity, Mr Otti described Squadron Leader Man-Ugwueje’s death and those of other military personnel aboard the Nigerian Air Force plane as painful and devastating.
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