Fresh Update Emerge On Crashed NAF Aircraft

Fresh details have emerged on the movements of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft, NAF 931, before it crashed in the Obe-Rebby swamp in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday.

Sources familiar with the aircraft’s movement told SaharaReporters that it travelled from Abuja to Benin City, Edo State, on Sunday, October 5, 2026, before it was expected to continue to Lagos.

The sources, however, claimed that the aircraft developed an engine fault after landing in Benin and remained there overnight while technicians worked on it.

According to one source, the aircraft had passengers scheduled to disembark in Benin before continuing to Lagos.

“It was supposed to go to Lagos from Abuja on Sunday, but it had some passengers going to Benin. They needed to drop them in Benin first. However, it developed an engine fault when they got to Benin and they could not go immediately to Lagos,” the source said.

The source said technicians worked on the aircraft throughout the night to rectify the fault.

“The aircraft was then worked upon by technicians in Benin overnight. So the aircraft was grounded overnight in Benin City and after engineers claimed to have rectified the fault, it took off on Monday morning for Lagos before it crashed minutes after takeoff in Ondo,” the source added.

Another source, who identified himself as a relative of one of the victims, said his family had expected the passenger to arrive in Lagos on Sunday.

“We were to receive him on Sunday. He, however told us their aircraft developed a fault in Benin City and needed to be worked on. That we should be expecting him whenever they certified it okay, but he wasn’t sure it would be that Sunday,” he said.

The source added that the passenger had no business in Benin and was travelling from Abuja to Lagos.

“He actually had nothing to do in Benin. It was an Abuja-to-Lagos flight that had to drop passengers in Benin,” he said.

The sources also questioned the description of the flight as a routine Benin-to-Lagos mission.

One of them said, “Why is the NAF claiming the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the incident happened? The affected passengers boarded the aircraft in Abuja and were going to Lagos.”

The source further alleged that the aircraft was frequently used for VIP transportation, rather than exclusively for surveillance operations.

“This aircraft and NAF 930 were known for transporting VIPs all around Nigeria,” the source alleged.

A military source also confirmed that technicians worked on the aircraft in Benin before its departure the following morning.

“They worked on the aircraft throughout Sunday. The technicians in Benin said they had fixed it. That was why it spent the night in Benin and left on Monday morning for Lagos. Unfortunately, it crashed a few minutes after takeoff,” the source said.