IGBOKODA, Nigeria — Schoolchildren returning to school and relatives of military personnel were among those killed in the Nigerian Air Force plane crash in Ondo State, according to reports providing new details about the civilians aboard the aircraft.
The ATR-42 was carrying military personnel as well as family members who had visited service members stationed in Edo and Delta states.
The report said some of the children were travelling back to school when the aircraft crashed into a swamp near the Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda.
The Nigerian Air Force has since confirmed that 25 people — 20 passengers and five crew members — were aboard the aircraft and that there were no survivors, revising an initial government account that put the number aboard at 32.
The Air Force released the names of all 25 victims on Tuesday but did not disclose the ages of the civilian passengers or specify their relationships to military personnel.
Families Were Travelling With Military Personnel
According to News Express, the passengers included airmen, soldiers, and relatives of military officers.
Sources cited in the report said the aircraft was carrying out a logistics mission to Lagos and that space aboard the flight had allowed relatives of military personnel to travel to the city.
The aircraft crashed on Monday, October 5, 2026, while flying from Benin City to Lagos.
Vanguard similarly reported that relatives of military personnel were among those aboard.
Neither report identified which of the civilian passengers were children.
The Air Force’s official passenger list contains several people without military ranks: Mrs Ezeh Nneka, Godstmine Tarabina, Joy Micheal, Sunday Micheal, Ukeme David, and Gideon Omotola.
The service has not publicly provided their ages or further biographical information.
Air Force Revises Initial Passenger Count
The new details emerged after conflicting official accounts about the number of people aboard the aircraft.
Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, initially said preliminary information indicated that 32 people were aboard — 25 passengers and seven crew members.
President Bola Tinubu’s first statement on the crash also referred to 25 passengers and seven crew members.
But the Nigerian Air Force subsequently issued what it described as the confirmed manifest, saying the aircraft carried 20 passengers and five crew members, for a total of 25.
The Air Force did not explain in detail how the earlier figure of 32 had arisen.
Six Civilians Appear on Passenger List
The five crew members identified by the Air Force were Squadron Leader MI Aburime, the flight captain; Squadron Leader AP Man-Ugwueje and Flight Lieutenant IS Bako, co-pilots; Warrant Officer Abubakar A, an aircraft technician; and Corporal Uguru HC, also an aircraft technician.
Fourteen of the 20 passengers were listed with military ranks.
They were Flight Lieutenant TL Lazarus, Flight Lieutenant M Akinloye, Flying Officer IM Adeshina, Master Warrant Officer Onwuka F, Master Warrant Officer Matini BA, Warrant Officer Nuhu FS, Flight Sergeant James RB, Flight Sergeant Mohammed AI, Sergeant Ani AE, Sergeant Izibenikien SI, Sergeant Alafuka C, Sergeant Mbadugha AN, Lance Corporal Ugwuba FC, and Lance Corporal Eledan GE.
The remaining six passengers were listed as Mrs Ezeh Nneka, Godstmine Tarabina, Joy Micheal, Sunday Micheal, Ukeme David, and Gideon Omotola.
The Air Force did not describe them as military personnel in its statement.
Aircraft Went Down Near Naval Base
The ATR-42 was travelling from Benin City to Lagos on what the Air Force described as a routine mission when it crashed in the swampy Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area.
Keyamo said air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 9:13 a.m.
The wreckage was subsequently located near the naval base.
Residents described hearing a loud sound before the aircraft went down.
Oluboyo Olusola, a resident who visited the area after the crash, told reporters that he saw wreckage, clothing, and human remains at the site.
The Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said the aircraft came down in a riverine, swampy area while it was raining.
“The aircraft crashed into the river and a swampy area,” Odidiomo said. “It was raining when the accident happened and the place was waterlogged.”
The Air Force has not established bad weather as the cause of the crash.
Maurice Oripelaye, chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, said preliminary information available to him suggested weather conditions might have affected the flight, but the Air Force has ordered a formal investigation and has cautioned against speculation before its findings are completed.
Recovery Operation Continues
The Nigerian Navy and Marine Police continued operations at the crash site on Tuesday to recover victims and parts of the aircraft.
Ondo State Commissioner of Police Felix Ohuagwu, who visited the area, confirmed that no survivors had been found.
The swampy terrain and water surrounding the wreckage complicated access to the site.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, director of public relations and information for the Nigerian Air Force, said search-and-rescue procedures had been activated immediately after the crash in coordination with other emergency agencies.
“The Nigerian Air Force will continue to provide timely and verified updates as the investigation progresses,” the service said.
It also urged the public to refrain from speculation and respect the privacy of families affected by the disaster.
Tinubu Orders Investigation
Tinubu declared three days of national mourning and directed that flags be flown at half-mast across the country.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation,” the president said.
Tinubu also directed the Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the crash.
“The Chief of Air Staff has briefed me, and I have directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences,” he said.
Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, the chief of the air staff, described the accident as a deeply painful loss for the service and the country and promised support for the bereaved families.
The Air Force has opened a condolence register at its headquarters in Abuja.
No preliminary determination of the cause of the crash has been announced.
