Nigeria: NAF Explains Confusion Over 25, 32 Crash Victims

What the report says

The Nigerian Air Force has clarified the confusion over the number of people linked to the ATR 42 crash that occurred in Igbokoda, Ondo State, saying the difference came from how civil and military aviation use the phrase “souls on board.” According to the report carried by Vanguard and republished by AllAfrica, the misunderstanding led to an initial figure of 32 being cited, while the Air Force later said 25 people were actually on the aircraft.

Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame explained that the military count included the crew within the total number, rather than adding them separately. The Air Force’s later account said the aircraft, NAF 931, was on a routine flight from Benin in Edo State to Lagos when it went down in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area.

The article said the wreckage was found in a swamp near a naval base, and no survivors were reported. The Air Force also released the names of the five crew members and 20 passengers it said were on board. Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke offered condolences and described the crash as a painful loss for the service and the country.

The NAF said a formal investigation was under way through established accident inquiry procedures, and it urged the public to avoid speculation while recovery and review efforts continued.