A Nigerian Air Force aircraft has crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, with 32 people reportedly on board.
The aircraft, identified as an ATR-42 with registration number NGR 931, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred on Monday.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed that preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft.
Keyamo said air traffic controllers informed him that the aircraft disappeared while travelling towards Lagos at about 9:13 a.m.
Efforts to establish radio contact with the aircraft were unsuccessful before subsequent information confirmed that it had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
The wreckage has since been located, while search-and-rescue operations are ongoing.
The minister said the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority do not have regulatory control over military aircraft.
He, however, said he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the ministry’s cooperation and assistance with the ongoing rescue operation.
NAF confirms aircraft ownership
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that the aircraft involved in the accident belonged to the service.
In a statement issued by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the NAF said the ATR-42 was conducting a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.
The Air Force said it immediately activated a search-and-rescue operation in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
“The NAF is committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing search and rescue efforts,” Ejodame said, adding that further details would be communicated as they became available.
The aircraft’s disappearance initially generated reports of a possible helicopter crash in the Igbokoda area. Authorities later clarified that the aircraft was an ATR-42 operated by the Nigerian Air Force.
No official casualty figure yet
As of the latest official updates, authorities had not released the condition of the 32 people on board or confirmed any fatalities.
Reuters and the Associated Press also reported that rescue operations were still underway and that there was no immediate official confirmation of casualties.
The crash occurred in a swampy area close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, according to reports from the scene.
The Ondo State Police Command also acknowledged the incident, while urging residents to remain calm and avoid circulating unverified information as authorities worked to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
The cause of the accident has not been established.
Authorities are expected to provide further information as the search-and-rescue operation progresses.
