Bodies are being recovered from the wreckage of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed in a swampy area of Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The aircraft, an ATR-42, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed on Monday, October 5, 2026.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, confirmed that bodies were being recovered from the crash site.
“Bodies are being recovered. Aircraft landed in a swamp,” Achimugu said, referring to an earlier statement by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
NAF launches search and rescue operation
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed the accident and said it had immediately activated search and rescue operations.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the aircraft crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State.
“The Nigerian Air Force has activated an immediate search and rescue operation following an ATR-42 aircraft accident in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on 5 October 2026,” Ejodame said.
“Search and rescue operations, in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies, are currently ongoing.”
32 people were on board
Keyamo said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft, which had the tail number NGR 931.
According to the minister, air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 9:13am after repeated attempts to reach the crew by radio failed.
“Subsequently, information, however, confirmed that the military aircraft has 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 minister said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and assured the Nigerian Air Force of the ministry’s cooperation and support for the rescue operation.
No survivor had been officially confirmed at the time of filing, while military equipment recovered from the wreckage heightened concerns over the fate of those on board.
Search and rescue teams, supported by relevant authorities and emergency agencies, are continuing operations at the crash site.