‘Profound tragedy’ — Matawalle mourns 32 NAF personnel after Ondo crash

Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has described the loss of 32 Nigerian Air Force personnel in an aircraft crash in Ondo State as “a profound tragedy.”

The NAF ATR-42 aircraft, carrying 25 officers and seven crew members, crashed near a naval base in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on Monday, October 5, 2026, while on a routine operational mission from Benin to Lagos.

Matawalle expressed condolences to the families, colleagues and loved ones of the personnel involved in the crash.

“I received with profound sadness the news of the crash of the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, which occurred today, Monday, October 5, 2026, with 25 officers and seven crew members on board,” Matawalle said.

He described the incident as “a profound tragedy and a painful reminder of the sacrifices routinely made by members of our Armed Forces in the service of the nation.”

Matawalle said the Ministry of Defence joined President Bola Tinubu in mourning the personnel and prayed for strength for their families and colleagues.

“We honour the courage, dedication and service of all the personnel involved in this unfortunate incident. Their commitment to duty and service to Nigeria will not be forgotten,” he said.