From Commissioning to Eternity: Heartbreaking Story of Military Officer Who Died in Ondo NAF Crash

Flying Officer IM Adeshina was one of the victims who suffered a tragic end in the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

LEADERSHIP gathered that his tragic end came barely nine days after he was commissioned into the service.

Adeshina was commissioned on 26 September 2026, after emerging as the Best Graduating Cadet of Branch Commission Course (BC) 3.

For the young officer, the achievement marked the beginning of what was expected to be a promising military career. But nine days later, that journey was cut short.

According to NAF, the aircraft, which had five crew members and 20 passengers on board, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. There were no survivors.

With a tail number NGR 931, NAF noted that it disappeared from radar at about 9:13 am after air traffic controllers lost contact with it. The wreckage was later located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.

Keyamo speaks

Reacting to this, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said efforts to establish radio contact with the aircraft had failed before its crash was confirmed.

Keyamo said his ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority did not have regulatory authority over military aircraft, but that he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff and offered support for the rescue operation.

He said: “I regret to inform the general public that Air Traffic Controllers have informed me of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, en route to Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours earlier today. All efforts to raise the aircraft on the radio proved abortive.”

Tinubu mourns

President Bola Tinubu later expressed sadness over the deaths and directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.

“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Tinubu said.

The President also declared three days of national mourning and ordered that flags be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the deceased personnel.

For Adeshina, however, the national mourning came just days after what should have been one of the proudest moments of his life.

Nine days earlier, he had been celebrated as the best graduating cadet of his course. He had earned his commission, put on the uniform and begun what promised to be a long career of service.

Instead, he became one of the names on the list of those killed in the crash.