JUST IN: NAF chief Aneke visits Ondo crash site

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has visited the site of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, as teams continue searching for the victims’ remains and the wreckage.

The ATR-42 aircraft, with registration number NAF 931, crashed into a swamp near the Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda on Monday, October 5, while flying from Benin City to Lagos.

All 25 people on board, including five crew members and 20 passengers, died in the crash, according to the Nigerian Air Force.

The aircraft was on a routine flight when air traffic controllers lost contact with it. The wreckage was later found near the naval base.

Personnel from the Nigerian Navy, Marine Police and other emergency teams are working to recover the victims’ remains and remove the wreckage from the crash site.

The search has been difficult because the aircraft crashed in a swamp, making it hard for workers to reach the wreckage and move around the area.

Ondo State Commissioner of Police Felix Ohuagwu also visited the site to see the situation for himself. He expressed sadness over the crash and confirmed that nobody survived.

The teams are working to recover the victims’ remains and collect parts of the aircraft that could help explain what caused the crash.


Aneke has ordered an investigation to find out why the aircraft crashed while flying from Benin City to Lagos.

Investigators will examine the available evidence and try to establish what happened before contact with air traffic controllers was lost.

The Nigerian Air Force has sent its condolences to the families and friends of the victims, as well as their colleagues.

The service is expected to share more information as the search and investigation continue.


President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning for the victims and ordered that national flags be flown at half-mast during the period.

He also ordered a full investigation into the crash and expressed sympathy to the victims’ families and the Nigerian Air Force.

Tinubu described the incident as a painful loss for the country.