Igbokoda Disaster: NAF Clarifies ATR 42 Crash Figures, Says 25 People On Board, Not 32
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has clarified the conflicting reports surrounding the number of people aboard its ATR 42 aircraft, NAF 931, which crashed at Igbokoda, Ondo State, confirming that 25 people were on board, not 32 as initially reported.
The Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, gave the clarification in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
Ejodame said official records showed that the aircraft carried 20 passengers and five active crew members. He explained that two additional crew-qualified personnel were included among the 20 passengers because they were travelling as passengers rather than serving as active crew members on the flight.
He said the earlier figure of 32 might have resulted from a misunderstanding of standard aviation terminology, particularly the expression “25 souls on board, inclusive of seven crew.”
According to him, the phrase means 25 people in total, including the seven crew members, rather than 25 passengers in addition to seven crew members.
The clarification followed an earlier announcement by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who had reported that 25 passengers and seven crew members, making 32 people, were aboard the aircraft.
The NAF subsequently confirmed that all 25 people on board died in the crash, with no survivors reported.
On the civilians aboard the aircraft, Ejodame said they were family members of officers travelling to the same destination.
He explained that the Air Force released the verified figures and names of those on board after search and recovery efforts and consultations with the affected families.
While expressing condolences over the tragedy, the NAF spokesman thanked Nigerians and well-wishers for their expressions of sympathy, solidarity and support.
“These expressions of concern have been a source of comfort during this difficult period,” he said.
He added that the victims were not merely casualty figures but valued lives and cherished loved ones whose loss was deeply felt by the service and the nation.
Ejodame said the NAF remained actively engaged with the bereaved families, providing appropriate support as they navigated the painful period.
He disclosed that a thorough investigation into the crash was ongoing, stressing that further information would be communicated as appropriate and that conclusions about the circumstances and causes of the accident would be guided by the investigation’s findings.
He appealed to the media and the public to exercise restraint and sensitivity in reporting the tragedy while respecting the grief and privacy of the affected families.
Despite the loss, Ejodame said NAF personnel remained committed to ongoing operations across various theatres of engagement, confronting significant risks in the service of national security and the protection of citizens.
He reaffirmed the service’s commitment to transparency, accountability and the welfare of its personnel and their families. (NAN)