By Dayo Johnson, AKURE
Residents of Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State have recounted how a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft crashed in the community, killing all 32 persons on board.
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The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, had 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board. It was said to be on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it reportedly lost contact with Air Traffic Controllers at about 9:13 a.m. on Monday, October 5, 2026, before crashing in a swampy area close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
Search and rescue operations were immediately activated by the Nigerian Air Force, while security operatives cordoned off the crash site.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a probe into the incident, while Naval authorities have disclosed the identities of the casualties.
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has also directed the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA; the Ministry of Health and relevant security agencies to mobilize and provide full logistical and human support to the Nigerian Air Force and other emergency responders at the crash site.
The governor, who said he has been in contact with the leadership of the Nigerian Air Force, the Chairman of Ilaje Local Government, Hon. Maurice Oripelaye, and security agencies on ground, expressed heartfelt sympathy to the Chief of Air Staff, the entire Nigerian Air Force family and families of all personnel and passengers on board.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time,” the governor said.
He also urged residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities to remain calm, cooperate with emergency responders and refrain from spreading unverified information.
How it happened – Eyewitnesses
Narrating how the incident happened, residents said it was drizzling when the crash occurred at about 9:40 a.m. on Monday.
One of them, who identified himself as Jomiloju, said: “I was just trying to have my bath when I heard a loud noise. It was very frightening.
“I rushed out and met other people in my area who heard the loud sound and equally rushed out of their houses to ascertain what happened.
“We rushed towards the direction the sound came from and met many of our people there looking towards the swampy area within the community.
“We had to sail to the location in canoes to have a good glimpse of the crashed plane. But all we saw was the wreckage. The larger part of the plane was deep inside the swamp.
“After we discovered that we couldn’t help rescue any of the occupants, we sailed back to the river bank. The naval officers and police also sailed to the location in their speed boats.”
Another resident, Lucky, said: “We have tried our best to rescue them, but the aircraft was deeply buried inside the swamp. Our people here have tried a lot. Even the women and men took their canoes and crossed to that place to rescue them.
“We tried our best, but unfortunately we could not help the occupants. They were buried inside the swamp.”
Similarly, Bolajoko Ayeni said: “Immediately it happened, there was nothing we could do. We just ran to the place. When we got there, we saw some parts like human parts. Then we just did some videos.
“We couldn’t rescue anybody because the plane had already entered the swampy area. So there was nothing we could do. We just did the video and returned to land.”
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