Squadron Leader Ahamefule Aham Man-Ugwueje, one of the pilots of the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, NAF 931, which crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday, got married in an elaborate ceremony in Abuja two weeks before the accident.
Man-Ugwueje tied the knot with Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle on September 19, 2026, according to details of the wedding invitation and posts by vendors involved in the ceremony.
According to information on his Facebook profile, Man-Ugwueje’s hometown is listed as Umuahia, Abia State, while Abuja is listed as his current town/city.
The aircraft, which had 25 people on board, including five crew members and 20 passengers, crashed while on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.
The Nigerian Air Force on Tuesday confirmed that all 25 people on board died in the accident and released their names.
The wedding planner and vendors involved in the ceremony showed videos and photographs from Man-Ugwueje and Adekunle’s wedding in Abuja.
One of the videographers at the wedding, Beejay Creates, shared footage from the ceremony with the caption, “Love in every word.” The post identified the couple as “BRIDE DAMILOLA AND GROOM AHAMEFULE.”
The wedding invitation showed that the couple’s Holy Matrimony was held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Masters Place, Plot 826, Solomon Lar Way, opposite the NHIS Headquarters/Customary Court of Appeal, Utako, Abuja.
The ceremony was scheduled for 11am, while the reception followed at 3pm at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre, Km 10 Expressway, Asokoro, Abuja.
The invitation identified the groom as the son of retired Group Captain Man-Ugwueje. Man-Ugwueje was listed by the Nigerian Air Force among the five crew members who died in the crash.
He was identified as the co-pilot of the aircraft.
The NAF said the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, described the crash as “a deeply painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the nation” and expressed condolences to the families, loved ones and colleagues of the victims.
The Service said a comprehensive investigation had been ordered to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident
meanwhile president Bola Tinubu has described the death of 25 people in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Ondo State as “a painful moment” for Nigeria, saying the nation will not forget the sacrifice of the fallen personnel.
Tinubu, who expressed grief over the crash, said the military personnel who died had put their lives on the line every day in the service and defence of the country.
The President said the tragedy had also devastated families who were expecting their loved ones to return home, noting that every military uniform represented a family waiting for its occupant. “Behind every uniform is a family.
A spouse, a child, a parent, a brother or sister who expected their loved one home. Nigeria grieves with them,” he said.
Tinubu reiterated that he has declared three days of national mourning and directed that the national flags be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of those who lost their lives.
“I have declared three days of national mourning and directed that our flags be flown at half-mast throughout the country in honour of those we have lost,” he stated.
The President also ordered the Nigerian Air Force to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, saying the objective was to prevent a recurrence.
