The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has released the identities of the people who died in the crash involving an NAF ATR 42 aircraft in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State, on Monday.

The aircraft, NAF 931, was carrying five crew members and 20 passengers when it crashed during a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.

In a statement, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, NAF spokesperson, said no survivor had been found following the accident, which prompted the immediate activation of search-and-rescue operations in coordination with relevant authorities.

Those killed include five crew members: Squadron Leader MI Aburime, the 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 20 passengers were identified as 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; Sergeant Ani AE; 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 Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, expressed profound condolences to the families, loved ones and colleagues of those who lost their lives in the crash.

Aneke described the incident as a deeply painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the country, while assuring the bereaved families of the Service’s full support during the difficult period.

A Nigerian military aircraft, ATR-42 carrying 32 people has crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo said the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was flying from Benin to Lagos when contact was lost at about 9:13 a.m.

The wreckage has been located, and search and rescue operations are underway.

Preliminary information indicates there were 25 passengers and seven crew members on board.

Keyamo said he has spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the ministry’s full support for the rescue effort.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has activated an immediate Search and Rescue operation following an ATR-42 aircraft accident in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on 5 October 2026.

The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred. Search and Rescue operations, in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies, are currently ongoing.

Ehimen Ejodame, Air Commodore, Director of Public Relations and Information Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force, said NAF is committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing Search and Rescue efforts. Further details will be communicated in due course.

• [File photo] L-R Prof Pat Utomi; Prof Chinyere Okunna and Eze Anaba President Nigerian Guild of Editors at the 22nd All Nigerian Editors Conference in Enugu. Photo. Nwankpa Chijioke.

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has tasked news organisations and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with implementing far-reaching reforms to strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

The Guild, in a communiqué issued at the end of the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC 2026) in Enugu, called on newsrooms to institutionalise fact-checking and verification systems and integrate digital verification, deepfake detection and forensic tools into their editorial workflows.

The communiqué, signed by NGE President, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, also called for electoral reforms, including the introduction of a 50 per cent threshold for presidential elections and the resolution of electoral disputes before the swearing-in of declared winners.

The Guild urged all news organisations to adopt the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage (Revised 2022) and train journalists and other editorial staff on its provisions ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Code was jointly endorsed by the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NGE, Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union, and Guild of Corporate Online Publishers.

According to the Guild, the media has a critical responsibility to provide accurate, verified and independent information to the electorate while holding governments, political parties and other centres of power to account.

The NGE identified generative artificial intelligence, deepfakes, voice cloning and automated networks as major emerging threats to the integrity of electoral information.

The Guild warned that synthetic content could be produced and distributed rapidly, including fabricated election results, cloned voices of public officials, forged documents, manipulated result sheets and fake reports attributed to established media organisations.

The editors said the greatest danger was not merely the circulation of individual falsehoods but the broader erosion of public trust when citizens became unable to distinguish authentic information from fabricated content.

The conference, with the theme, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” was chaired by the Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, while the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, delivered the keynote address.

Vice President Kashim Shettima participated virtually as Special Guest of Honour, while Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, served as Chief Host.

More than 500 editors, publishers and senior media practitioners from print, broadcast and digital platforms, alongside political, traditional, religious, academic, regulatory and development-sector leaders, attended the conference.