Ondo Air Crash: Tinubu Orders Probe, Declares Three Days of National Mourning

Nigeria is mourning following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday, October 5, 2026. The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m., before its wreckage was located near the naval base.

Initial information from the Ministry of Aviation indicated that 32 people—25 passengers and seven crew members—were aboard, but the Nigerian Air Force later revised the figure to 25 people, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members, with no survivors reported.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared three days of national mourning for the Air Force personnel who died in the crash and directed that national flags be flown at half-mast across the country. The President expressed condolences to the families of those on board, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and the wider Nigerian Air Force, describing the incident as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and the nation.

Tinubu also directed the Nigerian Air Force to commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash, while commending the immediate search-and-rescue response and the assistance provided by first responders and the Ondo State Government.

Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo confirmed that the aircraft had disappeared from radar and that all attempts to re-establish radio contact had failed before the wreckage was located, while stressing that military aviation falls outside the regulatory authority of his ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. The Nigerian Air Force activated search-and-rescue operations in coordination with relevant authorities, with recovery efforts complicated by the swampy terrain around the crash site.

As investigations begin, authorities are expected to examine the aircraft’s flight path, technical condition, maintenance history, weather conditions and communications to establish what caused the crash, while the Air Force has said the names of the deceased personnel will be released after their families have been contacted.