Many Feared Dead as Helicopter Crashes in Ondo Community

Many persons are feared dead after a helicopter crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
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The incident, which occurred on Monday, October 5, 2026, threw the coastal community into panic, with residents scampering for safety.

Details surrounding the crash remained sketchy as of the time of filing this report.

It was yet unclear how many persons were aboard the helicopter, while the condition of possible survivors could not be immediately ascertained.

Sources in the community told SaharaReporters that efforts were underway to access the crash site and determine the extent of casualties and circumstances that led to the crash.

“Yes, it’s true. A helicopter just crashed now at Igbokoda, Ondo state,” a resident told SaharaReporters.

Ondo State Police Command spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh told SaharaReporters he was unaware of the incident but would make inquiries.

Helicopters crash

Igbokoda is a riverine community and commercial hub of Ilaje, one of the oil-rich areas of Ondo State, where helicopters are frequently used for oil and gas logistics operations.

Nigeria has recorded a series of helicopter crashes in recent years, many involving oil workers and military aircraft, raising fresh concerns over aviation safety and regulatory compliance.
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Gunmen Attack Vehicle Carrying Traders From Plateau Livestock Market, Seven Injured

The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed that unidentified gunmen attacked a vehicle carrying passengers near the Total Roundabout in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area, an incident in which seven passengers were reportedly shot.
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The command’s spokesperson, DSP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the attack when contacted by SaharaReporters, but declined to provide further details.

In a statement released by the state police command on Monday, it condemned the attack, which it said targeted traders returning from Kara Market in Bukuru.

The statement, signed by Alabo, partly read, “The Plateau State Police Command has received with deep concern the report of a shooting incident that occurred on 4th October, 2026 at about 04:30 pm along Bukuru Expressway, Jos South LGA.

“Preliminary investigation indicates that the vehicle targeted was conveying traders returning from Kara Market, Bukuru, Jos. Seven injured victims have so far been traced to the Military Clinic, Rukuba Barracks, Jos, where they are receiving medical attention.”

According to sources, the attack occurred on Sunday as the passengers were travelling in an open-body Boxer vehicle from the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market to Rafin Bauna village in Bassa Local Government Area.

The driver and a survivor, identified as Murtala Isa Ibrahim, said seven of the 20 passengers aboard the vehicle were affected in the shooting.

Some reports have also indicated that one person had already died among the victims.

The victims were taken to Rukuba Barracks Hospital for medical attention. Their conditions had not been established as of the time of filing the report, and no death had been confirmed. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unclear.

The incident is the latest in a series of reported attacks on herders and other travellers returning from the Kara Bukuru Livestock Market.

In a related development, a pastoralist association in Plateau condemned a reported attack on Fulani herders around the Federal Low-Cost area of Bukuru and called on security agencies to investigate and apprehend those responsible.

The association recalled that five Fulani herders were reportedly killed around Kassa in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area on September 20 while returning from the same livestock market.

It also cited an earlier attack near the Conoil Filling Station in December 2025 involving herders returning from the market.

The recurring incidents have raised concerns about the safety of pastoralists and traders who depend on the livestock market for their livelihoods.

The Plateau State chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ibrahim Babayo, also confirmed the attack and condemned it.

He called on security agencies to investigate the incident and apprehend those responsible.

Gunmen

Mr Babayo urged the police, Operation Safe Haven, the Department of State Services and other security agencies to strengthen security along the Kara Bukuru market route and prevent further attacks on traders and herders.

The association also appealed to community members to remain calm and refrain from retaliatory violence, stressing the need for justice and equal protection for all residents, regardless of ethnicity or occupation.
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Atiku Condemns Imo, Borno Abductions, Says “This is a Generation Being Failed at Every Stage”

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the abduction of 20 travellers, including prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, in Imo State and the continued captivity of more than 70 pupils and students in Borno State.
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Atiku lambasted the President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government over its failure to protect Nigerians.

Atiku made the remarks in a post on his X account on Monday, urging the Nigerian Government, the Imo State Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue all victims still in captivity.

He described the abduction of the travellers as “heartbreaking,” noting that while some of the victims had been rescued, others remained in captivity.

“The abduction of 20 travellers, including prospective corps members, in Imo State is heartbreaking. Some have been rescued, but others remain in captivity,” Atiku said.

“I urge the Federal and Imo State governments, and all security agencies, to act with urgency and bring everyone still being held home safely.”

SaharaReporters had reported on October 3 that the gunmen who abducted the prospective NYSC members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states reportedly demanded a total ransom of ₦950 million for their release. The victims were ambushed while travelling in two buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State.

The abductors reportedly contacted some of the victims’ families and demanded ₦50 million for each person. The Managing Director of Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nigeria Limited, Isiah Akpan, said the buses were operated by his company.

The incident occurred after the buses, which had departed Bodija/Samonda Park in Ibadan, spent the night in Oba, Anambra State, before resuming their journey at about 5am.

The gunmen were said to have emerged from a nearby bush after the vehicles entered Imo State and blocked their movement. “They blocked the two vehicles and took 19 passengers, all corps members, into the bush,” Akpan said, according to the earlier report.

In his reaction, Atiku also drew attention to the continued captivity of more than 70 pupils and students abducted from Mussa and Lassa communities in Borno State. “In Borno, more than 70 pupils and students abducted from Mussa and Lassa remain in captivity months later,” he said.

“These children must not be forgotten. Their families deserve clear updates, and the public deserves answers.”

Atiku further criticised the administration of President Tinubu over insecurity, linking the continued abductions to the government’s promise that savings from the removal of fuel subsidy would be channelled towards improving security.

“Tinubu promised that savings from subsidy removal would help fund security. Yet Nigerians remain exposed to kidnappers on our roads, in our communities and around our schools,” he said.

According to Atiku, young Nigerians are increasingly facing insecurity at different stages of their lives, from secondary school to university and during journeys to NYSC orientation camps.

“Young people face danger in secondary school, struggle with unaffordable fees at university, and are now targets on their journeys to NYSC camps,” he said. “This is a generation being failed at every stage.”

He also questioned the government’s spending on pipeline security contracts, alleging that politically connected companies receive huge contracts while ordinary Nigerians remain vulnerable to criminal attacks.

Atiku

“Meanwhile, huge pipeline security contracts go to politically connected companies, while ordinary Nigerians are left to face criminals. The first duty of the government is to protect lives,” Atiku said.

He called for the immediate and safe rescue of all abducted persons and urged authorities to provide families with information on the whereabouts of their loved ones.

“While we pray for the immediate and safe rescue of every abducted young person and the return of all those still unaccounted for, my promise to build a safer and more affordable Nigeria, where young people can create, build and prosper, remains unshakable,” Atiku said.
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