Ondo Air Crash Tragedy: Rescuers Find No Survivors After NAF Aircraft Crashes Deep Into Swamp

 

All 32 passengers and crew members aboard a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, have reportedly died. The aircraft, identified as NAF 931, crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda on Monday while travelling from Benin to Lagos. Military sources said there were no survivors after the aircraft went down in the swampy riverine area opposite the Naval Base. 

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had earlier confirmed that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft. Keyamo said the aircraft lost contact with air traffic controllers at about 9:13am after it disappeared from radar. 

He disclosed that all efforts to re-establish radio communication with the aircraft proved abortive before information later emerged that it had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda. “The wreckage has been located and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” the minister said. 

The Nigerian Air Force also confirmed the crash, describing the aircraft as an ATR-42 on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. According to the NAF, an immediate search and rescue operation was launched in collaboration with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies. 

The cause of the crash remained unclear as of the time of filing this report. However, fresh details have emerged about the history of the ill-fated aircraft, with reports indicating that NAF 931 had spent almost three years in Germany undergoing maintenance before returning to Nigeria in late December 2024. The 16-year-old ATR-42-500 Maritime Patrol aircraft was delivered to Nigeria in 2010 under the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. 

The aircraft was reportedly acquired as part of a $73 million contract signed in 2007 between the Nigerian government and Alenia Aeronautica, now Leonardo of Italy, for two ATR-42MP aircraft, including crew training, logistics and spare parts. 

Records cited in the report show that NAF 931 was flown to Rheinland Air Service in Monchengladbach, Germany, in January 2022 for Periodic Depot Maintenance. It reportedly remained grounded at the facility for almost three years before returning to Nigeria in December 2024. 

The Nigerian Air Force had not publicly explained the reason for the prolonged maintenance period. The aircraft was equipped with maritime surveillance systems, including the Selex Galileo ATOS airborne tactical observation and surveillance system, search radar and electro-optical sensors. Reports also indicated that NAF 931 had previously undergone maintenance in Scotland and had a history of prolonged periods on the ground. 

There were also industry estimates that the extended 35-month maintenance period in Germany may have cost between $4.5 million and $7 million, although the Nigerian Air Force had not publicly disclosed the actual amount spent. 

The aircraft was operated by the 81 Air Maritime Group in Benin, Edo State, and had roles including maritime surveillance, anti-piracy operations, anti-oil bunkering, anti-smuggling, search and rescue, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and limited transport duties. 

The crash has triggered renewed questions over the operational history, maintenance and airworthiness of the aircraft, even as authorities continue efforts to establish what caused the fatal accident. The Nigerian Air Force and other relevant agencies are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash and determine the factors that led to the loss of all 32 people reportedly aboard the aircraft. 

The plane crashed and sank, we can’t find it, all we are seeing here is just body parts.” — Local rescue volunteers in Igbokoda, Ondo State A loaded helicopter crashed near a naval military base, in the swampy areas of Igbokoda, Ondo state. 

Reports suggest it was a military chopper, but the condition of possible survivors or the total number of passengers aboard or details of the flight have not been confirmed. However, footage coming from Igbokoda suggests a fully burnt wreckage, implying multiple fatalities. Some of the corpse were in military gear, and military equipment were scattered around the crash site.

“The plane crashed & sank, we can’t find it, all we are seeing here is just b0dy parts.” — Local rescue volunteers in Igbokoda, Ondo State https://t.co/VAbzoiSfSv

— 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑮𝑬𝑵𝑬𝑹𝑨𝑳 𝑺𝑵𝑶𝑾 🇨🇮 (@GeneralSnow_) October 5, 2026