The ATR-42 aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, crashed into a swampy area opposite the Naval Base in Igbokoda Ondo state on Monday morning while travelling from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos on a routine mission.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft.
Reports indicate that the victims included military personnel, their family members and other passengers. Some of the family members were reportedly children returning to school, while others had visited relatives serving in Edo and Delta states.
The crash occurred in a difficult-to-access swamp opposite the Naval Base, complicating rescue and recovery operations. Local fishermen reportedly joined military and emergency personnel in efforts to reach the wreckage.
Residents of Igbokoda said they heard a loud sound around the time of the crash. The swampy terrain and waterlogged conditions made it difficult for residents to approach the site, with parts of the aircraft reportedly scattered around the area.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 and said it immediately activated search-and-rescue operations in collaboration with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and directed the State Emergency Management Agency, Ministry of Health and security agencies to provide logistical and humanitarian support to the rescue and recovery efforts.
Residents and the Olu of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said the aircraft crashed into a swampy, waterlogged area during rainfall. Some residents also reported seeing aircraft debris, clothing and body parts at the scene.
The chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripelaye, said preliminary findings suggested that poor weather conditions might have affected the pilot while attempting to manoeuvre the aircraft.
President Bola Tinubu expressed sadness over the incident and ordered the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.
Tinubu also declared a three-day national mourning for the victims and directed that national flags be flown at half-mast in their honor
The incident has left the Nigerian Air Force community and the affected families mourning one of the country’s deadliest military aviation disasters in recent years.
