Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed deep sadness over the Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State that claimed 25 lives.

Atiku disclosed this in a statement posted on X on Tuesday, describing the tragedy as heartbreaking and extending his condolences to the families of the victims and the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, with registration number NGR 931, crashed in the Inbound area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday while on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.

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The aircraft disappeared from radar after air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m.

Its wreckage was later located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, where search-and-rescue operations were launched.

The Nigerian Air Force subsequently confirmed that 25 people were on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, with no survivors.

Reacting to the tragedy, Atiku said the scale and circumstances of the crash were heartbreaking.

“Among those who lost their lives were airmen, soldiers and members of their families,” he said.

He added that the victims included people whose lives were dedicated to service, as well as families and individuals whose lives were cut short in the tragedy.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of all the deceased,” Atiku said.

He noted that no words could adequately comfort parents who had lost their children, children who had lost their parents, or families suddenly deprived of their loved ones.

Atiku also extended his heartfelt condolences to the Nigerian Air Force and the Armed Forces of Nigeria, as well as the governments and people of Nigeria and Ondo State.

He prayed that Almighty God would grant eternal rest to the souls of the departed, comfort their grieving families and give the Nigerian Air Force and the nation the strength to bear the painful loss.

Military gear has reportedly been found at the scene of a helicopter crash in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The helicopter crashed in a swampy area of the coastal community on Monday, October 5, 2026, sparking panic among residents.

The Chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripelaye, said military personnel and equipment were seen at the crash site, raising the possibility that the aircraft could have been a military helicopter.

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However, the identity of the helicopter and its operator had not been officially established as of the time of filing this report.

Oripelaye said the aircraft crashed near the Naval Base area and was burnt to rubble following the incident.

He also said the number of people who were aboard the helicopter could not immediately be ascertained, while the fate of those on board remained unclear.

Earlier, residents reported hearing a loud sound from the direction of the crash before discovering that an aircraft had gone down in the swampy area.

The difficult terrain has also made access to the crash site challenging, with security personnel and other responders deployed to the area.

The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the aircraft crash and said investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The police urged residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information, promising to provide further details as credible information becomes available.

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has arrived at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre (BATICC) in Abuja for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Stakeholders’ Mobilisation and Empowerment Pre-Inaugural Campaign Roll-Out.

The First Lady arrived at the conference centre on Monday, October 5, for the women-focused political gathering organised by the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The event is themed “Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0: From Reforms to Prosperity,” with the mobilisation message, “One Voice, One Movement, One Choice, One Mandate 2027.”

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The gathering is expected to bring together thousands of women from across the country, including women leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, political stakeholders, community representatives and grassroots organisers.

20,000 women expected

The arrival follows a report published on Sunday, October 4, which said Oluremi Tinubu was expected to lead a major mobilisation of women stakeholders in Abuja.

According to the report, more than 20,000 women were expected to attend the Women Stakeholders’ Mobilisation and Empowerment Pre-Inaugural Campaign Roll-Out scheduled for 8am at BATICC.

The APC Women Mobilisation Directorate has also announced an ambitious target of mobilising 40 million women’s votes for President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Director of the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Betta Edu, disclosed the target ahead of the gathering and said the structure was expanding its grassroots mobilisation across the country.

Speaking ahead of the event, a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Women Mobilisation Planning Committee, Princess Gloria Akobundu, highlighted programmes including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), CREDICORP, infrastructure projects, cash-transfer programmes and youth empowerment initiatives.

Akobundu urged women in Imo State and across the South-East to strengthen their mobilisation structures and take the Renewed Hope Agenda message to communities across the region.

She said, “We are calling on our women across the South-East to strengthen their mobilisation and ensure that the message of the Renewed Hope Agenda reaches every community and locality.”