The Ghana Air Force has expressed condolences to the Nigerian Air Force following the crash of an ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, Ondo State, which killed 25 people.

The Ghanaian Chief of the Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Eric Agyen-Frempong, conveyed the condolences in a Thursday message to his Nigerian counterpart, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke.

In the message, Agyen-Frempong expressed sympathy to the bereaved families and the entire Nigerian Air Force, acknowledging the grief caused by the October 5 accident.

The Ghana Air Force said its chief drew from the service’s own experience of a fatal incident a year earlier to recognise the pain associated with such tragedies.

“Drawing from the GHAF’s own tragic loss a year ago, he acknowledged the profound grief associated with such incidents and reaffirmed the Service’s solidarity with the Nigerian Air Force during this difficult period,” the statement said.

The Ghana Air Force said the experience had reinforced its understanding of the grief faced by the Nigerian Air Force and the families of those who died, adding that it stood in solidarity with the service during the difficult period.

It also paid tribute to the victims, saying, “May the departed souls rest in eternal peace.”

The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, with tail number NAF 931, crashed into a swamp near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on October 5, 2026.

The aircraft reportedly lost contact with air traffic controllers shortly after taking off from Benin City on a flight to Lagos. All 25 people on board, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members, died in the crash.

Search-and-rescue operations involved personnel from the Nigerian Navy, Marine Police and Nigerian Air Force.

Following the incident, President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning and directed that flags be flown at half-mast across the country.

The Nigerian Air Force also ordered an investigation into the accident and urged the public to avoid speculation pending the outcome of the inquiry.

—By Samuel Omotere