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NAF Confirms 25 Persons On Board Of Crashed Aircraft, Releases Names Of victims

By
Ayodele Oni
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Site of Military plane crash in Ondo

By Ayodele Oni

 

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed that 25 persons including crew members were on board of an NAF ATR-42 aircraft which crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on Monday.

 

This is just as NAF published the names of 25 people who died in the crash.

 

The aircraft, with registration number NAF 931, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

 

The NAF, in a statement issued by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, on Tuesday, said the aircraft had five crew members and 20 passengers on board.

 

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, expressed condolences to the families, colleagues and loved ones of the victims.

 

Aneke described the incident as “a deeply painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the nation,” assuring the bereaved families of the Service’s full support.

 

The statement said, “NAF 931 had 25 persons on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers.

 

“The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

 

Search-and-rescue procedures were immediately activated, with response efforts conducted in coordination with relevant authorities to locate and account for all persons on board. No survivors have been found.”

 

Crew

Squadron Leader MI Aburime — Flight Captain

Squadron Leader AP Man-Ugwueje — Co-pilot

Flight Lieutenant IS Bako — Co-pilot

Warrant Officer Abubakar A — Aircraft Technician

Corporal Uguru HC — Aircraft Technician

Passengers

Flight Lieutenant TL Lazarus

Flight Lieutenant M Akinloye

Flying Officer IM Adeshina

Master Warrant Officer Onwuka F

Master Warrant Officer Matini BA

Warrant Officer Nuhu FS

Flight Sergeant James RB

Flight Sergeant Mohammed AI

Sergeant Ani AE

Sergeant Izibenikien SI

Sergeant Alafuka C

Sergeant Mbadugha AN

Lance Corporal Ugwuba FC

Lance Corporal Eledan GE

Mrs Ezeh Nneka

Godstmine Tarabina

Joy Micheal

Sunday Micheal

Ukeme David

Gideon Omotola

The NAF said the Chief of the Air Staff had directed a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.

 

“The Nigerian Air Force will continue to provide timely and verified updates as the investigation progresses and urges the public to refrain from speculation and the circulation of unverified information, while respecting the privacy and dignity of the affected families,” the statement added.

 

The Service also announced that a condolence register has been opened at its headquarters in Abuja for government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, heads of security agencies and other well-wishers wishing to pay their respects to the families of the deceased and the Nigerian Air Force.

Police Arraign Two Women for Cyberstalking Access Bank

By
The Source
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Roosevelt Ogbonna - Access Bank MD

The Police prosecuting counsel Stanley Nwafoaku from the Directorate of legal services of Federal Criminal Investigation Department of Nigeria Police Force Alagbon Ikoyi Lagos today, arraigned two ladies alleged to have considered together to cause the transmission of false publication concerning Access bank to the effect that the lender is shutting down its operations.

When the three count charge were read to them, the two Defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Thereafter Barrister Nwafoaku urged the court to remand them in the custody of Nigerian correctional services and fix a date for trial.

However,!Cyhtia Nwanpu who stood in for Ifenna Okeke counsel for both defendants, asked for a short date to file a  formal bail application. The presiding Judge,Akintayo Aluko, while remanding the defendants in custody of the Nigerian correctional services, adjourned till 25th of November 2026 for trial pending when the defence counsel should have filed bail application,!which will be given expeditious hearing.

 

The charge as filed before the court by the Police prosecuting counsel.

 

FHC/L/CR/773/2026

 

COUNT ONE

That you. IDORENYIN SAMUEL UMOBH and FINENESS MONDAY ESU, on or about the 28th day of July 2026, in Lagos. within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves and with other persons now at large to Knowingly transmit and cause the transmission of a false publication through the means of Computer systems and networks, concerning Access Bank Plc, to the effect that the Bank was shutting down its operations with effect from 23rd September 2026 and that all customers should close their accounts and withdraw their funds, and act done for the purpose of causing a break of law and order. and thereby committed an offence of Conspiracy, Contrary and Punishable under Section 27(1)(b) of THE CYBERCRIMES (PROHIBLIION, PREVENTION,ACT.) ACT, 2015 (AS AMENDED IN 2024),

 

COUNT TWO

That you. IDORENYIN SAMUEL UMOH and FINENESS MONDAY ESU. on or about the 28th day of July 2026, in Lagos. within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly and intentionally sent and caused the transmission, through Facebook and WhatsApp. of a publication, which you knew to be false, representing that Access Bank Plc was shutting down its banking operating effect from 23rd September 2026 and urging members of the public and customers of the Bank to close their accounts and withdraw their funds, an act done for the purpose of causing of breakdown of Law and order, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24(1)(b) and punishable under Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended  2024).

 

COUNT THREE

That you. IDORENYIN SAMIUEL UMOH and FINENESS MONDAY ESU. on or about the 28th day of July 2026. within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly of having reason to believe that the same was false. published and or reproduced a statement. rumour or report to the  Access Bank Plc was shutting down its operations effective 23rd September 2026 and that customers should close their accounts and withdraw their funds. which publication was likely to cause fear and alarm to the public and disturb the public peace and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 59(1) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004,

Uzodimma Meets President Tinubu, Says Meeting Productive

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0

By Adesina Soyooye 

 

Snippets from the meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State have gradually been made public by the Governor.

 

President Tinubu, while in Lagos, met with  Uzodinma, on Sunday during which Mr President urged State Governors to  ensure Nigerians feel the impact of his administration’s reforms.

 

Briefing Journalists after the meeting, Uzodinma said his visit to Lagos was to update the President on developments in the country while he was on working visit to Europe.

 

It is not  known if he briefed the President on the cold relationship between the PGF and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike or not, but the Governor said he had “a very quality conversation,” with the President. 

 

Uzodimma: “We had a very quality conversation, and he is now aware of the things that happened while he was away and the efforts of the Governors of Progressive Forum in making sure that Nigerians are properly aware of the achievements of his government and the policies.

 

The meeting, he said,  also focused on the administration’s campaign to highlight its reforms, which added would begin almost immediately.

 

Uzodima: “I referred straight to our campaign outing, which will start almost immediately since he is now back. So it was a quality conversation, a quality meeting I had with Mr. President.”

 

Uzodimma noted also that the focus of the President’s reform agenda has shifted from implementation to ensuring that Nigerians benefit directly from the policies.

 

He said: “We have already taken cue from that broadcast, and that is exactly what we are doing. The reform policy has moved from implementation to ensuring that the people of Nigeria get the dividends of the reform policy itself

“

The Governor pointed at   the impact of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as an area where the benefits of the reforms should be passed on to Nigerians.

 

He said: “The advantage of having CNG buses sent to Nigerians through the various agents, that the savings made should not be as huge as it occurred now. The transporters and commuters should also be responsible in ensuring that since the cost of transportation has been reduced by the introduction of CNG, that they should now also reduce the fare they charge passengers. That way, it becomes a win-win situation.”

 

State Governments Uzodimma said, will not just praise the reforms but would work to ensure that their impact reaches ordinary Nigerians.

 

He said: “So we are not going to only sit here and sing the songs of reform. We are going to make sure that the benefits.”

 

Using the financial position of Imo State as an example, the Governor pointed out what he called the positive impact of Tinubu’s policies on state governments.

 

When he took over the governorship of Imo State in 2021, Uzodinma recalled, the state found it very difficult to meet its financial obligations after paying workers’ salaries.

 

Uzodimma: “In 2021, I became the Governor without President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his reform policies. It was difficult at the end of every month after paying salaries. That is, if we managed to pay salaries, to have money to run the state.”

 

But no longer, he said.

 

Uzodimma: “Today, we pay salaries as we do and we have money to do all the achievements that we have recorded in the state. It is not only in my state. Every other state. Most of our Governors are very active, with a lot of projects here and there.

 

“We are grateful to Mr. President and his reform policies. And we are charged again to ensure the real benefits, that the real beneficiaries of the reform policy are the people. That the masses will feel the impact. That these policies, the dividends, should be impactful.”

Military Plane Crash: President Tinubu Declares 3-Day Mourning, Orders Flag Flown At Half-mast

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0
Helicopter crash

By Adesina Soyooye

 

A devastated President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces,  Bola Tinubu, has declared a three-day mourning for the  32 people who perished when a military aircraft crashed on Monday, October 5 in Ondo State. He also ordered that all flags be flown at half-mast in honour of the dead.

 

Nigeria witnessed its worst plane crash in 2026 when the Airforce jet                which took off from Benin on what has been said to be a routine mission to Lagos, lost contact with the control tower, not too long after it took off and crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

 

Sadly, there was no survivor as the 32 souls were lost. The terrain of the scene was difficult to access as the ill-fated aircraft plunged into a swampy area in the coastal community.

 

While it is not confirmed, yet, if  bodies have been recovered, eye witnesses confirm that body parts and personal effects have been seen scattered in the river.  The identities of those on board have not been made public but they would be a combination of officers and other ranks.

 

President Tinubu  has ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash. It will be accelerated when the black box is recovered. That will give a clearer picture of  what exactly happened before the final crash of the aircraft.

Gospel Musician, Kolawole Okanlawon Dies …GOMAN, Colleagues Mourn Over Loss

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0
Kolawole Okanlawon

By Akinwale Kasali

 

The Nigeria Gospel Music Community has been thrown into mourning following the sudden passing of Gospel Singer and Choir Master of Celestial Church of Christ, CCC, Winners Parish, Lagos State.

 

Okanlanwon’s death came as a shock to many of his colleagues, fans, Choir Members, Parish Members, Gospel Musicians Association of Nigeria, GOMAN, and the entire CCC Worldwide.

 

His death was announced and confirmed by Gospel Singer, Esther Igbekele, who posted on Instagram Page on Social Media of the passing of Okanlawon on Monday, October 5.

 

Struggling to hide her grief, Igbekele described his death as more than a “rude shock”.

 

She recalled that they were together recently during her last trip to the United Kingdom, making his sudden death even harder to process.

 

In her tribute, Igbekele described life as fragile and unpredictable while remembering the moments they shared.

 

She also said the Esther Igbekele Music Organisation would miss Okanlawon, and his presence would not be forgotten.

 

Her emotional tribute read in part: “I still find it difficult to believe that I am writing this about your demise”.

 

She however prayed for comfort for his family and everyone who loved him.

 

While news of Okanlawon’s death has been confirmed by his colleague, the circumstances surrounding his death remained unknown, as GOMAN has also announced his death, praying for the repose of his soul, and that God will give his families and loved ones the fortitude to bear the loss.

 

The Social Media has however awashed with his demise following Igbekele’s announcement of his demise on her Instagram Page, leading to her followers paying tribute to Okanlawon.

 

@okikiapotieri_official stated:

“Jesus Christ very sad news this morning OLUWA this guy can dance like never before I so much love his energy any time i see him with Mummy @estherigbekele Mama mi Accept my Condolences ma”.

 

@rokky_bash wrote:

“People just dey off, wetin dey happen sef? Abi rapture don start”.

Military Plane Crash: No Survivor, All Gone

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0
Helicopter crash

By Adesina Soyooye

 

All the 32 souls on board the ill-fated Nigerian Military Aircraft which crashed on Monday, October 5  2026 perished. Non survived.

 

The Aircraft, an ATR-42, which belonged to the Nigerian Airforce took off from Benin on a routine mission, but crashed in the coastal area of

Igbokoda, Ondo state. It was on its way to Lagos when the sad incident happened.

 

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa revealed that there was no survivor when he appeared on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme anchored by Seun Okinbaloye.

 

Aviation Minister,

Festus Keyamo, SAN, had earlier said that he was alerted of the disappearance of the Aircraft  by  air traffic controllers identified by tail number NGR 931, at 0913 hours.

 

He said all efforts  to reach the crew by radio failed before information confirmed that it had crashed.

 

The Minister aĺso disclosed that there were  25 passengers and 7 crew members on board.

 

The wreckage of the Aircraft was found close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo state.

 

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in a statement signed by Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, confirmed the location of the crash site and said rescue operations were already underway. Sadly, rescue efforts turned to recovery efforts.

 

President Bola Tinubu while lamenting the incident has deeply mourned the loss of lives, and ordered a thorough investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding this tragedy.

Yobe FMC Medical Director Loses Two Daughters – Medical Doctor, Pharmacist Two Days Apart

By
Adesina Soyooye
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0
Yobe FMC Medical Director Loses Two Daughters

By Adesina Soyooye

 

They were twins sisters. Hadiyah Usman Abdullahi and Aidah Usman Abdullahi. They chose same profession, almost. They chose to save lives. Hadiyah, a medical doctor. Aidah, a Pharmacist. They followed their mother’s footsteps. Their mother, Professor Hadiza Abdullahi Usman, is the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, Yobe State.

 

She was full of joy when her twin daughters, the obstacles they faced, notwithstanding, made her proud. A medical doctor. A pharmacist.

 

They were born with the sickle cell disease. But that did not stop them from soaring. They kept saving lives. Sadly, neither the two of them, nor their mother, stopped the wicked hands of death from snatching them days apart. They left as they came. Together.

 

On Friday, October 2, Hadiyah, the medical doctor died. And, as if she couldn’t wait to join her twin sister, on Sunday, October 4, Aidah, the Pharmacist, passed on.

 

Hadiyah was receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, where her mother is the CMD. She had been there for about a week after suffering a sickle cell crisis. But on Friday she gave up.

 

She was  laid to rest after  funeral prayers at the Emir’s Palace in Nguru.

At the time, her twin sister, Aidah was receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

 

She had reportedly been  discharged before her twin sister’s death. That was, perhaps, too much for her, especially, after she  visited her sister’s grave.

 

Aidah collapsed  thereafter and was rushed to hospital, where she later died.

 

In a confirmation of  Aidah’s death, the FMC posted on its Facebook page, the “second twin” of Professor Usman.

 

Their deaths have left a broken and shattered family as well as  those who knew them. They are in deep mourning over  the loss of the two young, beautiful health professionals. They came together, and left together.

“Stop Chasing Shadows” – Obi’s Camp Fires Back at Soludo Over Anti-Obi Campaign

By
The Source
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0
Charles Soludo and Peter Obi

The political feud between the camp of former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi, and the administration of Governor Chukwuma Soludo has escalated dramatically following a sharp counterpoint from Obi’s Media Adviser, Mr Idris Zekeri Jnr., Spokesman, Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR).

 

Reacting to a publication emanating from the state’s ruling circle urging the Anambra electorate to reject Obi and the opposition, the media office dismissed the move with heavy scorn.

 

Citing traditional Igbo philosophy—adighi ibua ayi ara (you do not join a mad person in the public square)—the camp maintained they chose silence over a full-scale exchange to avoid dignifying what they termed institutional absurdity.

 

Lifting the lid on internal dysfunction within the state’s leadership, Zekeri revealed that insiders in the administration had recently lamented that Governor Soludo spends half of executive council (EXCO) meetings obsessing over Peter Obi, treating his fixation on Obi as more vital than pressing state matters.

 

Adding a searing punchline, Zekeri remarked that if the governor’s obsession borders on clinical psychosis, stakeholders should promptly advise him to seek professional psychological aid rather than dragging the entire state into his mental fixations.

 

The statement lamented that as his obsession becomes magnified, the state is falling apart.

 

Citing a recent meeting held in Port Harcourt, he pointed out that the National emergency agency explicitly noted that Anambra only truly had it good under Obi, managing disasters and public safety with utmost competence. They were talking about the state’s preparedness for the recent flood that took lives in the state. “The only reason they gave to justify what the flood destroyed was that NIMET announced the impending flood, after they failed to follow the preemptive NINET prescribed.”

 

He recalled that as Governor, Obi uniquely engaged the UN-Habitat to formulate comprehensive master and structure plans for the state’s major cities, rigorously implementing them to the extent that by 2010, Onitsha was globally recognised among the fastest-growing cities in the world. Yet, rather than building on such visionary foundations, Soludo has completely abandoned these structural frameworks, choosing instead to focus his energy on petty political planning against Obi.

 

Zekeri further alleged that the state administration recently mobilised a cyber-army of over 500 internet trolls dedicated solely to attacking Peter Obi, with recruits supposedly promised the right to nominate cronies for state engagement, scaling the network up to 1,000 operatives based on hit-piece performance. The Obi camp slammed the strategy as a gross misallocation of state resources, lamenting that public funds are being aggressively funnelled into digital vandalism while governance issues pile up. Pre-empting what they described as a predictable scapegoating script, the media office stated they were putting the administration on formal record so officials could not tomorrow claim Peter Obi was the phantom distraction keeping them from working.

 

“Instead of obsessing over Obi, the governor should use those hours to tour Anambra and see how state funds are being wasted on roads that crumble while construction is still ongoing,” the statement fired. Pointing to massive grassroots receptions—such as the large turnouts at the Nnewi Cathedral and the coronation of the Igwe of Adazi-Ani—the camp challenged the administration to read the political room, stressing that no amount of propaganda can erase the deep-seated bond between Ndigbo and Peter Obi.

 

Against this backdrop, Zekeri formally called on Anambra elders, religious leaders, traditional rulers, and key stakeholders to urgently call Governor Soludo to order, advising him to face the pressing issues of governance and stop self-destructing through needless distractions.

 

Tearing into the state’s economic scorecard, the media office contrasted Soludo’s administration with the benchmarks established during Obi’s tenure, highlighting independent indices like the Phillips Consulting State Performance Index, where Anambra has nosedived from 1st position during Obi’s era down to 27th position under the current watch. The statement underscored that while Obi operated on a lean average federal allocation of about 3 billion monthly, Soludo now commands a combined allocation of roughly ₦25 billion monthly – meaning the current government receives in just two months what Obi managed in an entire year.

 

Anambra people are aware that his Commissioner for Finance was his houseboy. Why would things not go wrong?

 

The camp queried why higher institutions have not seen a single new building erected or positive intervention directed to schools since Obi left office, with recent NECO results showing the state slipping back down from previous historic highs. Lamenting that the state is allegedly being branded one of the dirtiest in the country while ecological erosion ravages communities with zero effective combat, the statement concluded that when a leadership facing monumental challenges chooses obsession with an individual over governance, something is seriously wrong.

Ministry Of Aviation, NAF, Give Details Of Crashed Military Aircraft, Say 32 Persons On Board

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Helicopter crash

By Ayodele Oni 

 

The Federal Government and the Nigeria Airforce,  (NAF) have confirmed that a military aircraft, carrying 32 persons crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State on Monday.

 

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

 

Also, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, confirmed the incident in a statement.

 

Keyamo revealed that the aircraft, with registration number NGR 931, was en route from Benin to Lagos when it disappeared at about 9:13 a.m.

 

He stated that air traffic controllers raised the alarm after all efforts to establish radio contact with the aircraft failed.

 

The minister added that it was later confirmed that the aircraft crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, where wreckage has been located and search and rescue operations are ongoing.

 

“Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and seven crew members on board,” he stated.

 

Keyamo noted that military aircraft are not under the control and regulation of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

 

He added that he has spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and assured him of the ministry’s total cooperation and assistance in the rescue efforts

 

NAF, while confirming the incident, disclosed that it has commenced an immediate search and rescue operation.

 

The spokesman, said that the search and rescue operation is being carried out in collaboration with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

 

“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has commenced an immediate Search and Rescue operation following an ATR-42 aircraft accident in Igbokoda Area of Ondo State on 5th October 2026,” Ejodame said.

 

The crash was reportedly recorded in the early hours of Monday around Larada Street in Ilaje, with reports indicating that the aircraft plunged into a river.

 

Emergency responders and security agencies have since been mobilised to the area as efforts continue to locate and assist those who may have been involved in the incident.

 

The spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Jimoh Abayomi, also confirmed the incident.

Kano State Governor, Yusuf, Is An Ingrate – Buba Galadima

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0
Buba Galadima

By Akinwale Kasali 

 

According to Buba Galadima, an elder statesman and and a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress NDC, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State is an ingrate. 

 

Calling the Governor out,  Galadima, said the name suits Yusuf for abandoning Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former Governor of Kano State and Governor Yusuf’s mentor.

 

For decades,Galadima stated that Kwankwaso nurtured Yusuf’s career 

for decades, before his emergence as Kano State Governor. 

 

He added that Kwankwaso defer all odds in making Yusuf Governor, even when there were numerous criticism from different quarters.

 

The NDC Chieftain made this statement in an interview posted on SYMFONI’s official YouTube channel on Saturday, October 3, 2026.

 

Galadima alleged that the relationship between Yusuf and Kwankwaso deteriorated soon after the Governor assumed office, claiming that  Kwankwaso supported Yusuf when others had lost confidence in his candidacy.

Musa Kwankwaso and Governor Kabir Yusuf
Musa Kwankwaso and Governor Kabir Yusuf

He added that it was disheartening that the Governor later turned away from his political mentor.

 

Galadima said: “The current Governor of [Kano] is an ingrate, somebody who brought you up for 40 years and made you governor against all odds, and you deserted him is uncalled for and a sign of betrayal”, he stated.

 

Recall that Yusuf had emerged as Kano State Governor under the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, founded by Kwankwaso, before cross carpeting to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

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