The Nigerian Air Force has released the names of the 25 people who died in the NAF ATR-42 aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State, as fresh developments emerged across the country on Tuesday.

The crash, which occurred on Monday during a routine flight from Benin to Lagos, has continued to attract condolences from President Bola Tinubu, political parties, public officials and other Nigerians. The NAF confirmed that all 25 people on board the aircraft died.

Also making headlines is the claim by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, that INEC staff are the least-paid workers in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has explained why it plans to establish a Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination centre in Canada from 2027.

In the international sports scene, a report has also raised fresh questions over FIFA’s handling of the eligibility of a Democratic Republic of Congo player during the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Nigeria.

Here are the top stories:
1. FULL LIST: NAF names 25 victims of Ondo aircraft crash
The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed the death of all 25 people aboard its ATR-42 aircraft, NAF 931, which crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State.

The aircraft was conducting a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed on Monday. According to the NAF, five crew members and 20 passengers were on board.

The Service’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, announced the confirmed number of victims in a statement on Tuesday.

The NAF said search-and-rescue operations were immediately activated in coordination with relevant authorities after the aircraft went down, but no survivors were found.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, expressed condolences to the families, friends, colleagues and loved ones of the victims, describing the incident as a deeply painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the country.

The crash has triggered widespread mourning, with President Tinubu declaring three days of national mourning and ordering a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The NAF subsequently released the identities of the five crew members and 20 passengers who died in the crash.

Read more: Full list of the victims and details of the Ondo aircraft crash.

2. 2027: INEC says staff are least paid in Nigeria
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said workers of the commission are the least-paid employees in Nigeria.

Amupitan made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja while presenting INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections at a World Press Conference.

According to him, the commission has taken steps to improve the welfare of its personnel, arguing that better remuneration would help staff discharge their responsibilities and strengthen accountability within the electoral body.

“INEC staff are the least paid in Nigeria,” Amupitan said, adding that the commission believed its workers should be given a living wage if they were expected to be held accountable for their duties.

He also disclosed that INEC had moved away from the civil service payment structure and was working towards a separate electoral and salary structure for its personnel.

The INEC chairman said the commission had identified several gaps in the electoral system and was taking measures to address them ahead of the 2027 elections.

3. Why JAMB is taking UTME to Canada – Registrar
The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Segun Aina, has explained the decision to establish a UTME centre in Canada.

Aina said the proposed centre in Ottawa is intended to expand access to the examination for Nigerians living in Canada and other parts of North America who wish to gain admission into Nigerian tertiary institutions.

JAMB is expected to commence operations at the Canadian centre in 2027. The proposed facility would enable eligible Nigerians in Canada to sit for the UTME without having to travel to Nigeria solely for the examination.

The registrar explained that the initiative was driven by the need to improve access rather than revenue generation.

He noted that JAMB already conducts the UTME in several countries outside Nigeria, describing the overseas centres as part of the board’s service to Nigerian candidates in the diaspora.

The development has generated public interest, particularly over the decision to establish a centre in Canada, but JAMB said the primary consideration was to remove geographical barriers for eligible candidates seeking admission into Nigerian institutions.
4. FIFA knew Congo fielded ineligible player against Nigeria – Report
Fresh controversy has emerged over the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 2026 World Cup qualification campaign following a report that FIFA was aware of an eligibility issue involving goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.

According to a report by The New York Times, FIFA’s own legal officials had privately determined that DR Congo breached player eligibility rules after Mpasi failed to complete the required documentation to change his international affiliation from France, where he had represented the country at youth level.

Mpasi featured for DR Congo in the African play-off final against Nigeria in November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco. The match ended 1-1 after extra time before DR Congo won 4-3 on penalties, ending Nigeria’s route to the World Cup through that stage.

The latest report has renewed questions over how FIFA handled the eligibility issue and its subsequent decisions concerning DR Congo.

Other reports have also said Nigeria had raised concerns over the player’s eligibility, while FIFA rejected the complaint on technical grounds.

FIFA has faced calls for greater scrutiny of its handling of the matter, although the governing body has denied wrongdoing.

The development is likely to generate further discussion in Nigeria, particularly because the eligibility issue concerns the match that ended the Super Eagles’ hopes of qualifying through the African play-offs.

That wraps up the major stories making headlines this evening. Stay with Nigeria Insight for more updates as they develop.

The High Court of Anambra State, Awka Judicial Division, has sentenced a man identified as Silas Uwa to life imprisonment for killing his uncle, following a dispute over family land in Ebenebe, Awka North Local Government Area of the state.

Justice Okechukwu Nwabunike handed down the sentence on Monday after finding Uwa guilty of manslaughter in Suit No. A/63C/2018.

The prosecution told the court that Uwa and the deceased were involved in a dispute over ownership of a parcel of land in Ebenebe.

According to the prosecution, the kindred had adjudged the disputed land to belong to the deceased, a decision which Uwa and his siblings reportedly rejected.

Rather than seek legal redress, the prosecution said Uwa confronted his uncle while he was working on his farm, leading to a physical confrontation.

The defendant was subsequently accused of killing the deceased with a machete during the altercation.

The prosecution, led by the Chief State Counsel, Ifeanyi Oguejiofor, with Principal State Counsel, Ijeoma Ugboaja, called four witnesses, including the Investigating Police Officer, to establish its case.

In his defence, Uwa pleaded self-defence and argued that the prosecution had failed to prove the charge of murder beyond reasonable doubt, particularly because there was no eyewitness to the killing.

However, delivering his judgment, Justice Nwabunike held that a murder case could be established through direct eyewitness testimony, a confessional statement or credible circumstantial evidence.

The judge noted that although there was no direct eyewitness account of the incident, the prosecution had presented sufficient circumstantial evidence linking Uwa to the death of his uncle.

Justice Nwabunike also rejected the defendant’s plea of self-defence.

However, rather than convicting him of murder, the court found Uwa guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

Reacting to the judgment, the Secretary of the Law Officers Association of Nigeria, Anambra State Chapter, Nonso Emeka, said the case highlighted the need for people involved in land disputes to pursue legal remedies rather than resort to self-help.

Emeka said the position was consistent with the directive of the Anambra State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Tobechukwu Nweke, SAN, that disputes over land ownership should be addressed through civil proceedings, including actions seeking a declaration of title.

He stressed that parties involved in land disputes should avoid taking the law into their own hands or turning civil disputes into criminal matters.

The case therefore underscores the importance of resolving land ownership disputes through established legal channels rather than confrontation or violence.

Several people are feared dead after a helicopter reportedly crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The incident occurred on Monday, October 5, 2026, throwing the riverine community into panic as residents reportedly rushed to safety following the crash.

Details of the incident remained sketchy as of the time of filing this report, with authorities yet to confirm the number of people who were on board the helicopter or whether any of the occupants survived.

Sources in the community said efforts were ongoing to gain access to the crash site and establish the extent of the damage, the number of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A resident who confirmed the incident said, “Yes, it’s true. A helicopter just crashed now at Igbokoda, Ondo State.”

However, the Ondo State Police Command said it was not immediately aware of the incident.

The command’s spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, said he had not received information about the reported crash but promised to make inquiries.

The reported incident has caused concern in Igbokoda, a major riverine community and commercial centre in Ilaje Local Government Area, one of Ondo State’s oil-producing areas.

Helicopters are frequently used in the area for oil and gas-related logistics operations, although it was not immediately clear whether the aircraft involved in Monday’s incident was operating in connection with the oil and gas industry.

As of the time of publication, there was no official confirmation of the identity of the helicopter, the number of people on board, the identities of those involved or the number of casualties.

Emergency responders, security agencies and other relevant authorities are expected to establish access to the crash site as efforts continue to determine what caused the incident.

Further details are expected as authorities provide more information on the crash and the condition of those who may have been involved.