The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has deployed a specialized technical search-and-rescue team to reinforce emergency operations near Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 maritime patrol aircraft.
​The military aircraft, tail number NGR 931, disappeared from radar at 9:13 AM WAT on Monday, October 5, 2026, while en route from Benin City to Lagos. Wreckage from the aircraft was subsequently located in the swampy terrain near the naval base in the riverine community of Igbokoda.
​At the time of the incident, the aircraft was carrying 32 individuals, comprising 25 passengers and 7 crew members.
​To accelerate recovery and support local emergency crews already at the scene, NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar directed the agency’s Director of Search and Rescue, Air Commodore Bature Usman, to lead an expert technical team directly to the crash site.
​”The intervention is aimed at strengthening the response to the incident and ensuring that the necessary resources are provided to support the ongoing search and rescue operation,” Umar stated.
​Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo confirmed the loss of radar contact and the location of the wreckage, noting that the Ministry is providing total cooperation to the military. Keyamo added that he has been in direct communication with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, regarding the operation.
​Emergency operations are being coordinated jointly by NEMA, the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and local medical personnel.
​Response teams face challenging terrain in the coastal wetlands of Ilaje LGA as they conduct search-and-recovery efforts. Further details regarding casualties and the technical causes of the crash await formal clearance from the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) as operations continue.
