A Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members has crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this on Monday, saying the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, disappeared from radar while travelling from Benin to Lagos.
According to Keyamo, air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 9:13 a.m. after departing Benin, while efforts to establish radio contact with the crew proved unsuccessful.
He said subsequent information confirmed that the aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda and that its wreckage had been located.
“Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and seven crew members on board,” the minister said.
Keyamo added that search and rescue operations were ongoing, while the condition of those aboard had not been officially established.
The minister said he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the cooperation of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in the rescue operation.
He clarified that the control and regulation of military aircraft were outside the authority of his ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
The Nigerian Air Force also confirmed the incident, identifying the aircraft as an ATR-42 and describing the flight as a routine mission from Benin to Lagos.
The NAF, through its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said an immediate search and rescue operation had been activated in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities had not officially announced the number of casualties or survivors, and the cause of the crash had not been established.
