Tinubu dclares three-day national mourning after NAF plane crash kills all 32 aboard in Ondo
Abdullateef Fowewe
President Bola Tinubu has declared a three-day period of national mourning following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft that killed all 32 people on board near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday, October 5, 2026.
The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was on a routine mission from Benin in Edo State to Lagos when it lost contact with air traffic controllers around 9:13 a.m. Wreckage was later located in a swampy area close to the naval base in the Ilaje Local Government Area.
It carried 25 passengers and seven crew members.
A military source confirmed there were no survivour.
In a State House press release issued by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu directed that national flags be flown at half-mast across the country as a mark of respect.
He described the incident as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and the nation..
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the President said in a condolence message to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and all officers, airmen, and airwomen of the Nigerian Air Force.
Tinubu noted that the Chief of Air Staff had briefed him and ordered an immediate thorough investigation “to prevent future occurrences.”
He also commended the Air Force for activating a rapid search-and-rescue operation and praised the swift response of first responders and the Ondo State Government.
The Air Force will release the names of the deceased only after notifying their families, Dailyeconomy gathered.
The ATR-42 is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft commonly used for transport and other operational roles.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo was among the first officials to confirm the disappearance and subsequent crash of the military plane.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ordered state agencies to support rescue efforts and later noted that no survivours had been found.
