The ATR-42 went down near Igbokoda while on a routine flight from Benin to Lagos. President Bola Tinubu has ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash.
A Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed near Igbokoda in Ondo State on Monday, with all 32 people on board feared dead.
The aircraft, an ATR-42 identified by Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo as tail number NGR 931, was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m. local time. The wreckage was later located near a naval base in Igbokoda, in Ilaje Local Government Area.
Keyamo said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board. The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 and said it had activated a search-and-rescue operation with relevant authorities and emergency agencies.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said no one had been found alive at the crash site. President Tinubu expressed condolences to the families of those aboard and described the crash as a painful loss for the Armed Forces and the country.
Tinubu said the Chief of the Air Staff had briefed him and directed the Nigerian Air Force to begin a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash. The Air Force had not announced a cause in its initial statement.
The Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau said it was prepared to provide technical assistance if requested by the Air Force. Because the aircraft was military-operated, the bureau said responsibility for the investigation rested with the military authority.
Authorities have urged the public to rely on official updates as the response and investigation continue. The cause of the crash has not yet been established.
