Military air crashes: 10 incidents in five years trigger calls for reforms

Nigeria has recorded at least 10 military aircraft crashes or losses between 2021 and October 2026, resulting in at least 68 confirmed and presumed deaths, according to an analysis of military aviation incidents.

The incidents involved fighter jets, helicopters, training aircraft, transport aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. They occurred during combat operations, training exercises, routine missions, casualty evacuation and post-maintenance checks.

The latest incident occurred on Monday when a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, NAF 931, crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13am. The NAF later confirmed that all 25 people aboard — 20 passengers and five crew members — died.

The crash has renewed concerns about the safety of Nigeria's military aviation fleet and intensified calls for a comprehensive review of aircraft maintenance, airworthiness standards, operational procedures, safety oversight and accident investigation.

Aviation analyst and Aviation Round Table member, Olumide Ohunayo, said the frequency of military aviation accidents showed that the Air Force needed to urgently reassess its safety systems. He called for stronger cooperation between the Nigerian Air Force, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau.

Ohunayo argued that the continued loss of military personnel and public assets should not be treated solely as an internal military matter. He urged the Air Force to review its operational manuals, procedures and processes and involve aviation regulators, accident investigators and other professionals in efforts to identify weaknesses and reduce future accidents.

2021 recorded several losses

The deadliest period covered by the analysis was 2021, when Nigeria experienced several military aircraft losses.

On February 21, 2021, a NAF Beechcraft King Air 350i crashed shortly after take-off from Abuja while heading towards Minna, killing all seven military personnel aboard.

On March 31, an Alpha Jet conducting operations in Borno State disappeared from radar. Its wreckage was later found in Sambisa Forest, while its two pilots remained unaccounted for and were presumed dead.

On May 21, a NAF King Air 350 crashed near Kaduna International Airport, killing all 11 people aboard, including the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru. The incident prompted a joint investigation by the Nigerian Air Force and the then Accident Investigation Bureau.

In July 2021, another NAF Alpha Jet was lost after being shot down in Zamfara State. Its pilot, Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo, survived after ejecting from the aircraft.

The losses continued in subsequent years. In 2022, a NAF Super Mushshak trainer aircraft crashed in Kaduna, killing its two pilots. In 2023, an NAF FT-7NI trainer aircraft crashed in Makurdi, Benue State, although both pilots survived. A month later, an NAF Mi-171 helicopter carrying out a casualty evacuation mission crashed at Chukuba village in Niger State, killing 11 people.

In December 2023, a NAF Mi-35P helicopter crashed shortly after take-off from the NAF Base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Its five crew members survived. In 2025, an Alpha Jet suffered an in-flight emergency during a post-inspection functional check flight near Kainji, but both pilots ejected safely. In January 2026, a NAF CH-4B unmanned aircraft was lost during a surveillance operation in Niger State without human casualties.

The October 2026 ATR-42 crash has now added another fatal incident to the record.

Experts seek wider safety audit

Ohunayo said the proposed safety review should extend beyond the Air Force to other military and paramilitary aviation operations. He advocated urgent audits of organisations whose aviation activities are not currently subject to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority's regulatory framework.

He also proposed international support for such audits and greater involvement of the NSIB in reviewing past accidents and assisting with investigations of recent incidents.

Another aviation expert, Group Capt. John Ojikutu, said the country's wider security architecture should also be examined. He questioned the extent to which the military is being deployed for internal security operations and noted that counter-insurgency, surveillance, casualty evacuation and other missions place significant demands on military aircraft and personnel.

The experts said closer collaboration among the military, aviation regulator, accident investigators and other professionals could help identify systemic weaknesses and reduce aircraft losses and fatalities.

ATR-42 history under scrutiny

The latest crash has also drawn attention to the history of the aircraft involved.

The Nigerian Air Force had two ATR-42-500MP aircraft, NAF 930 and NAF 931, operated by the 81 Air Maritime Group in Benin City. The aircraft are primarily configured for maritime patrol and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations, with additional search-and-rescue and limited transport capabilities.

Both aircraft were acquired from Italian aerospace manufacturer Alenia Aeronautica under a $73m contract signed in March 2007. NAF 930 was delivered in December 2009, while NAF 931 arrived in March 2010.

NAF 930 underwent major maintenance at Rheinland Air Service in Germany after recording 5,000 operational flight hours and returned to Nigeria in July 2020. NAF 931 was also taken to the same German facility for maintenance in 2022 and returned to Nigeria in late 2024.

However, the aircraft's age or maintenance history should not be treated as proof of the cause of the crash. PUNCH's analysis notes that the available data do not establish a single cause for the military aviation accidents, and the circumstances of the latest crash remain under investigation.

Difficult recovery operation

Recovery efforts at the Ondo crash site have been complicated by the swampy terrain. The wreckage sank deep into the area near the Naval Base in Igbokoda after the crash.

The Ondo State Government deployed specialised swamp buggies after conventional vehicles and boats proved unable to reach the submerged wreckage. Commissioner for Health Banji Ajaka said the equipment was needed to access the depth at which the aircraft was located.

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Nigerian Air Force to investigate the cause of the accident and declared three days of national mourning for the personnel who died. The Defence Headquarters has also ordered a probe into the circumstances surrounding the crash.