A Nigerian Air Force transport plane plunged into a swamp in Ondo State on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, and all 25 people aboard died, the service said. President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning. The Daily Beast described the accident as Nigeria’s deadliest air crash in more than 30 years.
What Happened to Flight NAF 931
The ATR-42 was flying a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m. The wreckage fell near a naval base in Igbokoda, in the Ilaje Local Government Area, a low-lying riverine stretch near the Atlantic coast.
Early figures put the number aboard at 32, a total that Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo gave. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, the Air Force corrected it, saying the plane carried five crew members and 20 passengers and that none survived. Air Force Director of Public Relations Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame signed the statement, which named all 25 victims. Six of the passengers appear to be civilians, including relatives of service members.
Search Hampered by Swamp and Mud
Crews have not found the main body of the aircraft. Ondo Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who visited the site on Wednesday, Oct. 7, said it was believed to be submerged in the mud, possibly about 30 meters (98 feet) deep. Only body parts, clothing and pieces of the plane had been recovered, he said, and jet fuel was leaking into the water. Reports differed on whether any remains had been brought out, and the flight recorders had not been found as of Oct. 7.
The Navy’s Hydrographic Department began a side-scan sonar survey, because the water was too murky for divers to search by sight. Navy divers, police, emergency agencies and local volunteers joined the effort, and officials ordered two swamp buggies to open waterways. Air Force drones are checking nearby mangroves and forest.
Investigation and Official Response
The cause has not been established. Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the chief of air staff, briefed Tinubu, who ordered the service to open a thorough investigation so that similar disasters can be prevented. The Air Force has set up a board of inquiry. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau said on Oct. 5 that military accidents fall outside its mandate, and it will take part only if the Air Force formally invites it. It has offered technical help, such as its flight safety laboratory.
Residents who saw the plane come down said it seemed to be descending with a sound suggesting a failing engine, and Aiyedatiwa said the pilot reportedly steered away from a community and came down about 200 meters (650 feet) from it. Both accounts are unconfirmed. “This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation,” Tinubu said in a condolence message.
Sen. Osita Ngwu, who chairs the Senate Committee on Air Force, called the crash a deeply painful moment, said lawmakers would seek a full briefing from Air Force leadership and urged Nigerians to rely on official information. The Air Force asked the public to avoid speculation.
The Aircraft
The ATR-42 is a twin-engine turboprop that the Nigerian Air Force uses for transport duties. Its crews support missions against armed groups and help counter instability across the country.
