ADC Demands Answers: Why Were Civilians and Children on Crashed NAF ATR-42 Flight?
Abuja, Nigeria—October 6, 2026—The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft that killed all 25 people on board, demanding clear answers on why civilians—including children—were travelling on a military plane described only as being on a “routine mission.”
In a statement issued Tuesday evening by National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi and shared on the party’s official X account, the ADC said the release of the victims’ names by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) raised serious questions that must now be answered.
“Following the Nigerian Air Force’s release of the names of casualties in Monday’s NAF ATR-42 aircraft crash, the ADC demands a clear explanation: why were civilians, including children, aboard a military aircraft that was on a ‘routine mission’?” Abdullahi stated.
The party outlined three key issues the investigation must establish: the actual purpose of the mission, who authorized the presence of the civilian passengers, and the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
“Routine mission is a description of an event, not an explanation,” the statement stressed. “The families of the victims deserve answers, while the entire nation deserves accountability.”
The Crash
The aircraft, registered as NAF 931, crashed on the morning of Monday, October 5, 2026, near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
It was flying from Benin City in Edo State to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at approximately 9:13 a.m. Wreckage was later located in a swampy coastal area.
Initial reports from the Presidency and Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo indicated 32 people were on board (25 passengers and seven crew). The NAF later confirmed the final toll as 25 people—five crew members and 20 passengers—with no survivors.
Among the passengers were six civilians: Mrs Ezeh Nneka, Godstmine Tarabina, Joy Micheal, Sunday Micheal, Ukeme David, and Gideon Omotola.
The presence of these civilians, particularly those with names that appear to include children or young family members, has fuelled public concern.
The five crew members killed were 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 remaining passengers were serving NAF personnel of various ranks.
President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning and ordered flags to be flown at half-mast. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, expressed deep condolences and ordered a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of the crash.
The NAF has described the flight as a routine mission, a characterization the ADC says falls short of the transparency required after such a tragedy.
Growing Calls for Accountability
The ADC’s intervention adds to broader public and political pressure for a full accounting of the flight’s purpose and the decision to carry civilian passengers on a military aircraft. Families of the victims, the opposition party argued, are entitled to more than a generic description of the mission.
As the official investigation gets underway, attention will focus on the black box data, the aircraft’s maintenance history, weather conditions at the time, and the authorization process that allowed non-military personnel—including children—to board.
The ADC reiterated that only a transparent probe can provide the answers the nation and the bereaved families deserve.
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