Reloaded News Desk
All 32 people aboard a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft have died after the military aircraft crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The aircraft, with 25 passengers and seven crew members on board, was on a routine mission from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m. on Monday.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 and said an immediate search-and-rescue operation was activated in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
The wreckage was subsequently located in the Igbokoda area, close to the naval base.
President Bola Tinubu later confirmed the deaths and expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the Nigerian Air Force.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation,” the President said, while commending the first responders and the Ondo State Government for their response to the crash.
President Tinubu has also directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash.
The investigation, according to the President, is intended to establish what led to the accident and help prevent a recurrence.
The cause of the crash has not been established.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has said that because the aircraft was military-owned, the incident falls outside its direct statutory mandate. The bureau, however, said it could provide technical assistance to the Nigerian Air Force if formally requested.
Following confirmation of the deaths, President Tinubu declared three days of national mourning for the Air Force personnel who died in the crash.
He also directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country as a mark of respect.
The Presidency said the Nigerian Air Force would release the names of the officers who died after their families had been contacted.
The aircraft came down in the swampy Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area, close to the Naval Base.
Local responders, security personnel and residents joined the initial search efforts, while the Ondo State Government mobilised emergency and logistical support for the operation.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa also directed state emergency, health and security agencies to support the response at the crash site.
The Nigerian Air Force has yet to announce the identities of all those who died or provide a definitive explanation for what caused the aircraft to crash.
Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.
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