Flying Officer Isa Muyiwa Adeshina, who was commissioned as the best graduating cadet of Branch Commission Course 3 on September 26, died in the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 crash in Ondo State just nine days later, on October 5, 2026. He was among the 25 people killed when NAF 931 went down in the swamps of Igbokoda area, and the NAF confirmed he was the only flying officer on board.
From Enlisted Soldier to Commissioned Officer
Adeshina first joined the NAF in August 2010 as a member of Basic Military Training Course (BMTC) 27, starting his career as an air intelligence operator. He was promoted to sergeant in September 2025 and was subsequently selected for branch commissioning, a pathway that allows serving personnel to become officers.
According to a social media account by Anas Ahmerd, Adeshina was travelling to visit his family in Lagos and had yet to report to his official posting when the crash occurred. He had spent more than a decade working his way up through the NAF before achieving his goal of becoming a commissioned officer.
Teaching Career Before the Military
Before his military career, Adeshina worked at As-Siraat Comprehensive College, an Islamic school in the Amukoko area of Lagos, where he taught physics and mathematics between 2004 and 2010, before rising to the position of vice-principal. Ustadh Ahmad, the school's proprietor, told TheCable that Adeshina's dedication set him apart from the start.
"He was the vice-principal of the school then. He was such a very intelligent and diligent man," Ahmad said. Ahmad recalled that Adeshina's departure for the Air Force programme was met with resistance from parents who did not want to lose him. "He was so loved by the parents to the extent that when he wanted to leave the school for the Air Force programme, many parents pleaded that we should do everything to retain him," he said.
Tributes From Former Students
Former students paid tribute to Adeshina on social media following news of his death. Lawal Kaothar wrote on Facebook: "He was one of the foundations that built us in As-siraat Comprehensive College." Ibrahim Damilola, another former student, said Adeshina's personal stories about faith stayed with him long after leaving school.
"His story deeply inspired me, and from my Junior Secondary School days, it encouraged me to remain consistent with my own Salat. I will always be grateful for that lesson," Damilola wrote. Ahmad added that Adeshina, who hailed from Iwo in Osun State, was survived by his mother.
Crash Details and Official Response
The ATR 42 aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State in the early hours of Monday. The NAF confirmed that all 25 people on board, including five crew members, died. Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke ordered a full investigation and opened a condolence register at NAF Headquarters in Abuja.
