• One dies as bus somersaults, catches fire in Ilorin
Many people were feared dead after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, yesterday, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation.
Although initial reports raised fears about the fate of those aboard, the number of casualties and possible survivors had yet to be officially confirmed at the time of filing this report.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said preliminary information indicated that the aircraft carried 25 passengers and seven crew members.
According to him, the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was travelling from Benin to Lagos when air traffic controllers reported its disappearance at 9:13 a.m.
Efforts to establish radio contact proved unsuccessful before information emerged that it had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda. The minister said the wreckage had been located and rescue operations were ongoing.
Confirming the incident, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the ATR-42 was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.
He said the Air Force had activated an immediate search and rescue operation in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
“The NAF is committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing Search and Rescue efforts. Further details will be communicated in due course,” Ejodame said.
The incident caused anxiety in the coastal community as residents sought information about the aircraft and its occupants.
The Ondo State Police Command also confirmed the crash, saying efforts were continuing to establish the circumstances.
Its spokesman, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, appealed for calm as information about the incident continued to emerge.
“The Command urges members of the public, particularly residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities, to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information,” he said.
The crash adds to previous accidents involving Nigerian Air Force aircraft.
On December 6, 2025, two pilots survived an Alpha Jet accident during a post-inspection functional check flight at NAF Base, Kainji, after safely ejecting from the aircraft. The Air Force said the pilots manoeuvred it away from populated areas before ejecting.
On March 7, 2024, a Super Mushshak trainer aircraft crashed about 3.5 nautical miles from Kaduna Military Airfield while returning from a routine training flight. Both pilots escaped unhurt.
A NAF MI-171 helicopter also crashed near Chukuba village in Niger State on August 14, 2023, while undertaking a casualty evacuation mission.
On April 19, 2022, a Super Mushshak trainer aircraft crashed at NAF Base, Kaduna, killing Flight Lieutenants Abubakar Muhammed Alkali and Elijah Haruna Karatu.
On May 21, 2021, a Beechcraft King Air 350i crashed near Kaduna International Airport, killing all 11 occupants, including the then Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru. Earlier, on February 21 that year, seven NAF personnel died in a Beechcraft King Air accident in Abuja.
One of the deadliest military aviation disasters occurred on September 26, 1992, when a NAF C-130 Hercules crashed shortly after take-off from Lagos, killing all 159 people aboard.
Meanwhile, one person died and several others sustained injuries after a commercial bus carrying 21 passengers somersaulted and caught fire in Ilorin, Kwara State.
The accident occurred on Sunday at Iye-Maja Junction along the Oko-Olowo Expressway.
The bus, with registration number DTH840SA, reportedly suffered a tyre puncture while in motion, causing the driver to lose control.
Kwara State Fire Service spokesman, PFO Hassan Hakeem Adekunle, confirmed the incident, saying firefighters responded to a distress call and arrived at about 6:35 p.m.
Passengers were evacuated, while those injured were taken to hospital. One passenger was confirmed dead.
The state’s Chief Fire Officer, Alabi Muhammed, commiserated with the deceased’s family and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
He urged motorists, particularly commercial transport operators, to maintain their vehicles and inspect tyres, brakes, electrical systems and other critical components before travelling.
He also advised road users to exercise caution and promptly report emergencies to the appropriate agencies.
