No Survivor Found After Nigerian Air Force Plane Crashes in Ondo — Aiyedatiwa

Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has said no survivor had been found after a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area of the state on Monday, October 5, 2026.

Aiyedatiwa disclosed the development during an interview with Channels Television, saying residents, emergency responders, security personnel and other local responders had searched the crash site but had not found anyone alive.

The aircraft, an ATR-42 with tail number NGR 931, was on a routine mission from Benin City in Edo State to Lagos when it disappeared from radar at about 9:13 a.m. It was later located in a swampy area near a naval base in Igbokoda.

According to Aiyedatiwa, residents across from the naval base heard a loud sound before witnessing the aircraft descend into the swamp. Nigerian Navy personnel initially approached cautiously because of concerns about a possible fire or explosion before joining the rescue effort.

The governor said personnel from the local emergency management agency, residents and members of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun, also participated in the search. “But from the information we got, no single life was saved up to this moment,” Aiyedatiwa said, adding that rescuers found aircraft wreckage, identity cards and military uniforms at the scene.

Earlier information from the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, indicated that 32 people — 25 passengers and seven crew members — were aboard the aircraft. However, a later Nigerian Air Force account cited by the Associated Press put the number at 25, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members. Officials had not immediately explained the discrepancy.

President Bola Tinubu has since expressed condolences over the crash and directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into its cause. He also declared three days of mourning for the victims.

The exact cause of the crash remains unknown. The aircraft’s wreckage and flight-recording equipment are expected to be important to the investigation as authorities work to establish what happened during the aircraft’s final moments.

The Nigerian Air Force has also confirmed that search-and-rescue operations were activated following the crash and that it was coordinating with relevant authorities and emergency agencies. The incident has drawn mourning across the country, with officials expressing condolences to the families of those aboard and to the Nigerian Air Force.