Nigeria Air Force releases names of crew members and passengers who died in the Monday, October 5, 2026 ill-fated military jet that crashed into swampy Igbokoda forest in Ondo State.
CREW
1. Squadron Leader MI Aburime (Flight Captain)
2. Squadron Leader AP Man-Ugwueje (Co-pilot)
3. Flight Lieutenant IS Bako (Co-pilot)
4. Warrant Officer Abubakar A (Aircraft Technician)
5. Corporal Uguru HC (Aircraft Technician)
PASSENGERS
6. Flight Lieutenant TL Lazarus
7. Flight Lieutenant M Akinloye
8. Flying Officer IM Adeshina
9. Master Warrant Officer Onwuka F
10. Master Warrant Officer Matini BA
11. Warrant Officer Nuhu FS
12. Flight Sergeant James RB
13. Flight Sergeant Mohammed AI
14. Sergeant Ani AE
15. Sergeant Izibenikien SI
16. Sergeant Alafuka C
17. Sergeant Mbadugha AN
18. Lance Corporal Ugwuba FC
19. Lance Corporal Eledan GE
20. Mrs Ezeh Nneka
21. Godstmine Tarabina
22. Joy Micheal
23. Sunday Micheal
24. Ukeme David
25. Gideon Omotola
Meanwhile, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, says no survivor has been found following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of the state.
Aiyedatiwa disclosed this during an interview with Channels Television on Monday, saying residents, security personnel and emergency responders had searched the crash site without finding anyone alive.
The governor said he was informed of the incident at about 10:30 a.m. after the chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area contacted him.
According to him, residents living across the river from the Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda heard a loud noise and later observed the aircraft plunge into a swampy area.
Aiyedatiwa said Navy personnel initially waited to determine whether the crash had triggered a fire or explosion before moving towards the site.
“When they noticed that it’s just an accident, they didn’t see any sign of fire. So they moved in, trying to see if they could rescue the people,” he said.
He added that officials of the state emergency management agency, local residents and members of the Amotekun Corps joined the search and rescue operation.
“But from the information we got, no single life was saved up to this moment. They could not see any living soul that was in that aircraft,” the governor said.
Search teams recovered parts of the aircraft, including pieces of its wings, identification cards and military uniforms.
According to the governor, the items helped confirm that the aircraft was a military plane.
Aiyedatiwa described the incident as a painful development, particularly because it occurred in his home state and local government area.
He expressed sympathy for the military personnel involved, noting that they were assigned to protect the country’s territorial integrity.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that an ATR-42 aircraft with tail number NGR 931 crashed in Igbokoda while on a routine mission from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft.
The Nigerian Air Force said search and rescue operations were still ongoing following the crash.
