Five crew members and 20 passengers have been confirmed dead after a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, with no survivors.
Nigeria is mourning the loss of 25 people whose lives were cut short when a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on Monday.
The Nigerian Air Force on Tuesday released the identities of the five crew members and 20 passengers who were aboard the ill-fated ATR-42 aircraft, designated NAF 931.
The aircraft was travelling from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos on what the NAF described as a routine mission when tragedy struck. Search-and-rescue teams were immediately activated in coordination with relevant authorities, but the operation ended in devastating news: there were no survivors among the 25 people listed by the NAF.
The tragedy has triggered nationwide mourning, with President Bola Tinubu declaring three days of national mourning and directing that Nigerian flags be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the victims. He also ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.
The crash occurred near a naval base in Igbokoda, in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. Initial reports from aviation authorities had put the number of people aboard at 32—25 passengers and seven crew members—but the NAF’s subsequent official identification of victims lists 25 people: five crew and 20 passengers.
NAF Chief: ‘A Deeply Painful Moment’
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, expressed profound sorrow over the deaths, describing the crash as a deeply painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the country.
He extended condolences to the victims’ families, colleagues and loved ones, assuring the bereaved that the Service would support them through the difficult period.
Aneke has also directed a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash and determine what went wrong.
The NAF appealed to Nigerians to avoid speculation and the circulation of unverified information, while urging the public to respect the privacy and dignity of the grieving families.
A condolence register has also been opened at NAF Headquarters in Abuja for government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, security chiefs and other well-wishers to pay their respects.
THE FIVE CREW MEMBERS
1. Squadron Leader MI Aburime — Flight Captain
2. Squadron Leader AP Man-Ugwueje — Co-pilot
3. Flight Lieutenant IS Bako — Co-pilot
4. Warrant Officer Abubakar A — Aircraft Technician
5. Corporal Uguru HC — Aircraft Technician
THE 20 PASSENGERS
1. Flight Lieutenant TL Lazarus
2. Flight Lieutenant M Akinloye
3. Flying Officer IM Adeshina
4. Master Warrant Officer Onwuka F
5. Master Warrant Officer Matini BA
6. Warrant Officer Nuhu FS
7. Flight Sergeant James RB
8. Flight Sergeant Mohammed AI
9. Sergeant Ani AE
10. Sergeant Izibenikien SI
11. Sergeant Alafuka C
12. Sergeant Mbadugha AN
13. Lance Corporal Ugwuba FC
14. Lance Corporal Eledan GE
15. Mrs Ezeh Nneka
16. Godstmine Tarabina
17. Joy Micheal
18. Sunday Micheal
19. Ukeme David
20. Gideon Omotola
These are not merely names on an official list. They were colleagues, parents, spouses, children, relatives and friends whose lives were abruptly cut short.
The crash has also raised fresh questions about the circumstances surrounding the flight. Officials have urged the public to wait for the outcome of the investigation rather than draw conclusions about its cause.
For now, families are left to confront the unimaginable loss, while the nation mourns 25 lives lost in one of the country’s latest military aviation tragedies.
Twenty-five names. Twenty-five lives. Twenty-five families now facing an unimaginable loss.
May their souls rest in peace.
