Sowore Raises Questions after NAF ATR-42 Aircraft Crashes in Ondo
- Omoyele Sowore expressed sadness over the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 crash near Igbokoda, Ondo State, which had 32 people aboard
- Sowore questioned Nigeria's capacity to respond rapidly to major disasters after videos and images from the crash site raised serious concerns
- The activist called for a thorough investigation into both the cause of the crash and the quality of the emergency response
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Activist and politician Omoyele Sowore has reacted to the crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near Igbokoda in Ondo State, expressing grief over the incident while raising urgent questions about the country's emergency response capabilities.
Legit.ng reports that a helicopter crashed into a river in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State in the early hours of Monday, October 5, 2026.
The aircraft was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members at the time of the crash, bringing the total number of people on board to 32.
Sowore said he was "deeply saddened" by the tragedy and offered his condolences to the families of those aboard and to the personnel of the Nigerian Air Force affected by the loss.
This was contained in a statement issued via his X handle @sowore on Monday, October 5, 2026
Sowore raises questions about emergency preparedness
Beyond expressing sorrow, Sowore directed attention to videos and images emerging from the crash site, which he said raised serious questions about how Nigeria handles large-scale emergencies.
"At a moment when every second matters, a country of more than 200 million people should have properly equipped, highly trained and rapidly deployable emergency-response teams capable of reaching difficult terrain with the equipment required for search, rescue and recovery," he said.
Sowore called for two separate investigations: one into the cause of the crash itself, and another focused entirely on the emergency response.
He asked how quickly help arrived, what equipment was available, what difficulties responders encountered, and whether a better-prepared system could have saved lives.
Calls for transparent investigation
"There must be a thorough and transparent investigation into what caused this crash," he said.
Sowore added that the response to the disaster must also face scrutiny.
He described the absence of adequate emergency preparedness as a failure that compounds the pain of any tragedy.
"A disaster is tragic. Being unprepared to respond to one makes the tragedy even more painful," he said.
Sowore said his thoughts remained with everyone who was aboard the aircraft, their families, and the communities affected by the crash.
5 things about Ondo helicopter NAF crash
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft with 32 people on board crashed near Igbokoda in Ondo state on Monday, October 5.
The aircraft lost radio contact at 09:13 hours while flying from Benin to Lagos before its wreckage was located near a Naval Base.
The Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo confirmed that 25 passengers and 7 crew members were on board as search and rescue operations continue.
Source: Legit.ng
