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Tinubu Confirms ATR-42 Crash Killed All 32 Aboard

By Drooid · Oct 5, 2026, 10:55 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Tinubu Confirms Crash

President Bola Tinubu confirmed a military ATR-42 crashed, killing all 32 aboard.
The ATR-42 carried 25 passengers and seven crew on a Benin City-Lagos flight.
Air traffic controllers lost contact at 0813 GMT on Monday, Oct 5 2026 near Igbokoda, Ondo State.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said the crash occurred close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
Search teams later located the wreckage near the coastal town of Igbokoda.

Summary

Nigerian Air Force Patrols

The Nigerian Air Force uses its ATR-42 fleet for maritime patrol, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Nigeria’s Safety Investigation Bureau may help recover flight recorders, yet military crashes are not automatically under its jurisdiction.
The Air Force operates two ATR-42-500MP aircraft, registered NAF 930 and NAF 931, and the specific crashed unit is unknown.

Summary

Keyamo Shares Details

Rescue teams searched the crash site by boat, navigating water where part of the plane sank.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo posted crash details on X, confirming tail number NGR 931.
Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke coordinated military assistance for the search and rescue.
Eyewitness Akinbulejo Pius reported hearing a thunder-like strike before the aircraft hit trees.

History

Historical Context

Nigeria’s deadliest military aviation loss occurred on 26 September 1992 when a C-130 Hercules crashed three minutes after take-off from Lagos, killing 158 people after three engines failed on a high-weight departure. That tragedy still frames the government’s response, led by President Bola Tinubu, Minister Festus Keyamo and Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, to the recent ATR-42 crash that killed 32 near Igbokoda.

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Tinubu Confirms Crash

President Bola Tinubu confirmed a military ATR-42 crashed, killing all 32 aboard.
The ATR-42 carried 25 passengers and seven crew on a Benin City-Lagos flight.
Air traffic controllers lost contact at 0813 GMT on Monday, Oct 5 2026 near Igbokoda, Ondo State.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said the crash occurred close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
Search teams later located the wreckage near the coastal town of Igbokoda.

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