Another NAF Plane Crash Claims Newlywed Husband 20 Years After Father's Death

Twenty years after Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle lost her dad in a Nigerian Air Force plane crash, her new husband died in another NAF crash on Monday.

Ms Adekunle’s father, Wing Commander E.O. Adekunle, was among 13 military officers killed when a NAF Dornier 228 aircraft crashed in Vandeikya, Benue State, on 17 September 2006.

The aircraft was flying from Abuja to Obudu in Cross River State. It went down while carrying senior military officers to a retreat.

Wing Commander Adekunle was one of the two crew members on that ill-fated flight. The 2006 crash led to the deaths of 10 army generals, a lieutenant-colonel, and two wing commanders.

Following her father’s path, Ms Adekunle joined the NAF and became a flight lieutenant. On 19 September 2026, she wed Squadron Leader Ahamefule Aham Man-Ugwueje, a fellow NAF officer, in Abuja.

The couple was married for only 16 days when tragedy struck again. Mr Man-Ugwueje was one of 25 people killed on Monday, when NAF 931, an ATR-42 aircraft, crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The NAF said the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. It had five crew members and 20 passengers on board. There were no survivors. Mr Man-Ugwueje was one of the two co-pilots on the flight.

The Air Force has ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the crash. Mr Man-Ugwueje’s death, just two weeks after his wedding, has gained a lot of attention after the names of the victims were released.

The marriage united two families with deep ties to the NAF. Reports say Mr Man-Ugwueje was the son of a retired Group Captain of the NAF. His career had seen him rise to squadron leader and serve as a co-pilot on NAF 931.

Ms Adekunle had also inherited her father’s connection to NAF, even after his death in the 2006 crash. This is a heartbreaking family tragedy that spans two decades and two generations.

A daughter who lost her father in a military aircraft crash in 2006 has now lost her husband in another NAF aircraft accident in 2026. The NAF has expressed condolences to the families of the 25 victims and promised support to the bereaved families as investigations continue.