Igbokoda Crash: NAF ATR-42 Reportedly Developed Engine Fault Before Fatal Flight

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

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

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The sources, however, claimed that the aircraft developed an engine fault after arriving in Benin and remained there overnight while technicians worked to rectify the problem.

According to one of the sources, the aircraft was carrying passengers travelling from Abuja to Lagos, with some passengers expected to disembark in Benin before the aircraft continued its journey.

“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 was quoted as saying.

The source further alleged that technicians worked on the aircraft throughout the night before it was cleared for departure the following morning.

“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.

The claim, if established by investigators, could become an important part of the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the crash. However, the Nigerian Air Force has not publicly confirmed that NAF 931 developed an engine fault in Benin or that such a fault was linked to the subsequent accident.

Victim’s Relative Raises Fresh Questions

A relative of one of the victims also reportedly provided an account suggesting that the passenger was travelling from Abuja to Lagos rather than beginning the journey in Benin.

The relative said the family had expected the victim to arrive in Lagos on Sunday but was subsequently informed that the aircraft had developed a problem in Benin.

“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,” the relative said.

According to the relative, the passenger had no reason to travel to Benin and was ultimately headed for 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 account has raised questions over the Nigerian Air Force’s description of the aircraft’s final journey as a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.

One of the sources questioned why the official description focused on the Benin-to-Lagos leg if, as alleged, several of the passengers had boarded earlier in Abuja.

“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 said.

The source also alleged that NAF 931 and another aircraft, NAF 930, were sometimes used to transport VIPs around the country.

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

That claim has not been independently established, and there has been no official confirmation that the aircraft was carrying VIP passengers at the time of the crash.

Military Source Confirms Overnight Maintenance

A military source separately confirmed that technicians worked on the aircraft in Benin before its departure the following morning, according to the report.

“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.

The development comes as investigations into the Igbokoda crash continue.

The Nigerian Air Force had earlier confirmed that NAF 931 was carrying 25 people — five crew members and 20 passengers — and that there were no survivors.

The NAF identified the five crew members as Squadron Leader M.I. Aburime, the flight captain; Squadron Leader A.P. Man-Ugwueje, co-pilot; Flight Lieutenant I.S. Bako, co-pilot; Warrant Officer A. Abubakar, aircraft technician; and Corporal H.C. Uguru, aircraft technician.

The Air Force has directed a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash and urged members of the public to avoid speculation or the circulation of unverified information.

The investigation is expected to examine the aircraft’s maintenance history, technical condition, flight operations, crew actions, weather conditions and other factors that may have contributed to the accident.

The reported engine fault and overnight maintenance in Benin are therefore among the claims that would need to be independently established by investigators before any conclusion can be drawn about the cause of the tragedy.

As the investigation proceeds, questions surrounding the aircraft’s movement from Abuja to Benin, its alleged technical problem, the maintenance carried out before takeoff and the nature of its passenger manifest are likely to attract further attention.