What was supposed to mark the beginning of a new chapter for Squadron Leader Ahamefule Aham Man-Ugwueje and his wife has ended in tragedy, after the Nigerian Air Force pilot was killed just two weeks after their wedding.
Man-Ugwueje, who served as co-pilot aboard the Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, NAF 931, was among the 25 people who died when the aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The pilot had married Flight Lieutenant Damilola Adekunle on September 19, 2026, in Abuja.
The couple held their Holy Matrimony at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Masters Place, in Utako, Abuja, before proceeding to their reception at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre in Asokoro.
Less than two weeks later, tragedy struck.
The aircraft crashed on Monday while conducting a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. All 25 people on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, were killed.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed the deaths on Tuesday and released the names of the victims, with Man-Ugwueje listed among the five crew members.
Details of the pilot’s wedding emerged through the couple’s invitation and posts shared by vendors who worked at the ceremony. Videos and photographs from the event showed the couple celebrating their marriage just days before Man-Ugwueje’s death.
One of the videographers who covered the ceremony shared footage of the occasion with the caption, “Love in every word,” identifying the newlyweds as bride Damilola and groom Ahamefule.
Man-Ugwueje was from Umuahia, Abia State, and was identified in his wedding invitation as the son of a retired Group Captain.
His death has added a deeply personal dimension to the aircraft tragedy, as family, colleagues and loved ones mourn a military officer whose life was cut short shortly after beginning a new journey with his wife.
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, while expressing condolences to the families and colleagues of the victims.
The Nigerian Air Force has since ordered a comprehensive investigation into the crash to determine what led to the fatal incident.
For Man-Ugwueje’s family, however, the investigation comes amid an especially painful loss — a wedding celebrated only weeks ago has now become a final memory of a marriage that had barely begun.
