Flying Officer Adeshina, the man who died nine days after NAF commissioning

By Raphael Jackson –

For Oluponna, a community near Iwo in Osun State, the joy of celebrating one of its brightest sons has turned to grief following the death of Flying Officer Isa Muyiwa Adeshina in a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) plane crash in Igbokoda, Ondo State.

Adeshina was among the 32 personnel and passengers who died in the crash involving the NAF’s ATR 42 aircraft, NAF 931, which was travelling from Benin to Lagos with 25 passengers and seven crew members when it went down near the Naval Base in Igbokoda on Monday, October 5, 2026.

The Nigerian Air Force subsequently released the identities of the victims, confirming Adeshina’s death alongside those of other military personnel and civilian passengers. The Air Force said search-and-rescue operations had been activated in coordination with relevant authorities, adding that no survivors had been found as of the time of its statement.

For Adeshina’s community, however, the tragedy carries a particularly painful dimension: the young officer died just nine days after being commissioned as a Flying Officer on September 26, 2026, cutting short a promising military career barely after it began.

His death has plunged Oluponna into mourning, with residents remembering a young man whose outstanding performance and achievements had raised hopes of a bright future.

In 2026, Adeshina emerged as the best graduating cadet of Branch Commission Course (BC) 3 of the Nigerian Defence Academy, a distinction that marked him out among his peers and brought honour to his community.

He hailed from the Asalu Family of Moronje Compound in Oluponna, Ayedire Local Government Area of Osun State, where news of his death has been received with deep sorrow. His commissioning had marked a moment of pride for his family and community, making the tragedy especially difficult to bear.

The community extended its condolences to his immediate family, the traditional ruler of Oluponna, HRM Oba Abdulrafiu Mosobalaje Ilufemiloye-Ariwajoye I, the Olupo of Oluponna Land, and the entire people of Oluponna.

Residents of Oluponna and the wider Iwoland have joined in mourning the young officer, whose achievement as the best graduating cadet was seen as a source of pride and inspiration to young people in the community.

His brief time as a commissioned officer has made his death even more heartbreaking, as he was only beginning to fulfil the promise demonstrated by his performance at the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Beyond the loss to his family and community, Adeshina’s death is the loss of a young officer who had begun a career devoted to military service and the protection of his country.

The crash also claimed the lives of other military personnel, including Squadron Leaders MI Aburime and AP Man-Ugwueje, Flight Lieutenant IS Bako and other officers and enlisted personnel. Civilian passengers identified among the victims included Mrs Ezeh Nneka, Godstmine Tarabina, Joy Micheal, Sunday Micheal, Ukeme David and Gideon Omotola.

As the community comes to terms with the loss, prayers have been offered for God to grant his family, friends, colleagues and the people of Oluponna the strength and fortitude to bear the painful loss.

Though his military career lasted only a few days after commissioning, Adeshina will be remembered in Oluponna and across Iwoland as a son whose achievement brought pride to his people, even as his life was cut tragically short.