Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Ondo State on Monday, October 5, 2026.
Tinubu also directed that national flags be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the Air Force personnel who died in the crash.
The ATR-42 aircraft, operating as NAF 931, crashed near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State while on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos.
Initial reports from Nigerian authorities put the number of people aboard at 32 — 25 passengers and seven crew members. However, the Nigerian Air Force has since revised the figure to 25 people, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members, with no survivors reported.
The discrepancy has not yet been explained by the authorities.
Tinubu has ordered the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash, with the aim of preventing similar incidents in the future.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President described the incident as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and the country, and extended condolences to the families of the deceased and personnel of the Nigerian Air Force.
The Air Force has released the names of those who died after notifying their families.
The aircraft was located after air traffic controllers lost contact with it shortly after its departure from Benin City. Search and rescue teams were subsequently deployed to the crash site near Igbokoda.