32 Killed as Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 Crashes in Ondo

A Nigerian Air Force aircraft has crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing all 32 people on board.

The aircraft, an ATR-42 with tail number NGR 931, was travelling from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos on a routine mission when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m. on Monday.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo initially disclosed that preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft.

The Nigerian Air Force subsequently confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 and said it had immediately activated search-and-rescue operations in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

The wreckage was later located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda. Initial reports did not give a casualty figure as rescue teams worked at the crash site.

Later reports, however, confirmed that all 32 people aboard the aircraft died in the crash. Reuters reported that the fatalities comprised the 25 passengers and seven crew members on board.

President Bola Tinubu expressed condolences to the families of the victims and directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Keyamo also clarified that the regulation and control of military aircraft fall outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

The minister said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the ministry's cooperation and assistance following the incident.

The cause of the crash has not yet been established, with authorities expected to investigate what led to the aircraft's loss of contact and subsequent crash.

The incident is one of the deadliest Nigerian military aviation accidents in recent years.