Ebenezer Adurokiya, Reporting
A Nigerian Air Force officer has reportedly lost her husband in an aircraft crash 20 years after she lost her father in another military aviation accident.
According to a report published by Ethnic African Stories on Facebook, Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle was the daughter of the late Wing Commander E. O. Adekunle, who died in a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Benue State in 2006.
The report said Wing Commander Adekunle was serving as the co-pilot of a Nigerian Air Force Dornier 228 aircraft when it crashed in the Oko area of Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State on 17 September 2006.
Thirteen military officers reportedly died in the crash.
Wing Commander Adekunle’s death left his family mourning a father who had failed to return home from a military flight.
Twenty years later, tragedy reportedly struck the family again.
According to Ethnic African Stories, Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle married Squadron Leader Ahamefule Aham Man-Ugwueje on 19 September 2026.
However, just 16 days after their wedding, Squadron Leader Man-Ugwueje was reportedly among the Nigerian Air Force personnel killed in the crash of NAF 931 at Igbokoda in Ondo State on 5 October 2026.
Man-Ugwueje was reportedly serving as the aircraft’s co-pilot.
The crash occurred while the aircraft was on a routine mission, with the Nigerian Air Force subsequently confirming the accident and the deaths of those on board.
The circumstances have drawn attention to the personal tragedy involving Flight Lieutenant Adekunle, who, according to the Facebook report, had previously lost her father in a military aircraft accident and had now lost her husband, also a Nigerian Air Force pilot, in another crash.
The report further stated that Man-Ugwueje was the son of a retired Group Captain Man-Ugwueje, while his wife came from a Nigerian Air Force family through her late father, Wing Commander Adekunle.
The reported connection means both the bride and groom came from families with strong links to the Nigerian Air Force.
The story has resonated as a poignant reminder of the personal sacrifices made by military families, particularly those whose loved ones serve in roles involving aviation and other high-risk duties.
Wing Commander E. O. Adekunle died in the 2006 Benue aircraft crash, while Squadron Leader Ahamefule Man-Ugwueje died in the October 2026 Ondo crash.
The reported circumstances surrounding the two deaths, separated by two decades, have brought renewed attention to the losses suffered by the families of Nigerian military personnel.
Stonix News extends its condolences to Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle, the Man-Ugwueje family, the Adekunle family and all the families affected by the military aircraft crashes.
May the souls of the departed officers rest in peace.
