Officers’ moments before Ondo crash

Families, friends and colleagues of some personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) killed in an ATR-42 aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State, have taken to social media to mourn their loved ones, sharing messages of grief and memories of the victims lost in the tragedy.

Among the late officers was Squadron Leader Ahamefule Man-Ugwueje, a pilot, who got married barely two weeks before the tragic incident. Man-Ugwueje had tied the knot with his colleague, Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle, on September 19, 2026, in an elaborate wedding ceremony held in Abuja.Earlier reports said the aircraft with tail number NGR 931 was carrying 32 people — 25 passengers and seven crew members — on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed into the swamp opposite the Naval Base in Igbokoda on Monday morning.

But a list released on Tuesday by NAF stated that five crew members and 20 passengers were onboard the plane. The crew were identified as Squadron Leader MI Aburime (Flight Captain), Squadron Leader AP Man-Ugwueje (co-pilot), Flight Lieutenant IS Bako (co-pilot), Warrant Officer Abubakar A (Aircraft Technician) and Corporal Uguru HC (Aircraft Technician).

The passengers included 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 and Sergeant Ani AE.

Others were Sergeant Izibenikien SI, Sergeant Alafuka C, Sergeant Mbadugha AN, Lance Corporal Ugwuba FC, Lance Corporal Eledan GE, Mrs Ezeh Nneka, Godstmine Tarabina, Joy Micheal, Sunday Micheal, Ukeme David and Gideon Omotola.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 9:13 a.m. According to him, air traffic controllers alerted authorities after attempts to establish radio contact with the aircraft failed.

Some of the late officers

Two weeks before the ill-fated crash, Squadron Leader Man-Ugwueje had married Flight Lieutenant Adekunle. Photographs from the wedding showed the couple holding hands and smiling as they began a new chapter of their lives.

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