A Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft has crashed near Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing all 32 people on board.
The aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was on a routine mission from Benin in Edo State to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m. local time on Monday.
The wreckage was later located in a swampy area close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42, a twin-engine turboprop, correcting earlier reports that a helicopter had crashed. The service said it activated search-and-rescue operations in collaboration with other relevant agencies following the loss of contact.
President Bola Tinubu, through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, expressed grief over the incident and extended his condolences to the families of those who died, as well as the Nigerian Air Force.
The President also directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Tinubu mourned the personnel and passengers who lost their lives, describing their sacrifice and service to the country as significant.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the Nigerian Air Force. He directed relevant state emergency and health agencies to support the ongoing response and recovery efforts.
The crash site is located in a swampy and difficult-to-access area, with security and emergency personnel involved in the recovery operation.
The cause of the crash has not yet been established. Authorities are expected to provide further information as recovery operations continue and investigators begin work to determine what led to the aircraft going down.
The incident is one of the deadliest recent military aviation accidents in Nigeria and has prompted renewed attention to aircraft safety and maintenance within the country’s armed forces.
