Nigeria has declared three days of national mourning after a military aircraft crashed in Ondo State, killing 32 people. President Bola Tinubu ordered for the Nigerian flags to be flown at half-mast after the incident on a Monday morning.
The aircraft had 25 passengers and seven crew members according to the authorities. It was reported to have crashed while on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos, when it crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The aircraft wreckage was sighted near a swamp. Clothes and shoes were found at the site while smoke was seen rising from the location. Aviation minister Festus Keyamo told reporters he was informed of the disappearance of military aircraft NGR 931.
The plane was reported to have taken off from Benin heading to Lagos when radio contact was lost at 09:13 local time. Keyamo said they made several attempts to establish communication with the plane by radio before confirming the crash near the naval base.
Search and rescue operations started after the crash. The aircraft is described as an ATR-42 which can carry 30 to 50 passengers according to its manufacturers. Tinubu directed the Nigerian Air Force to start a complete investigation into the cause of the tragedy.
He also said the probe would help prevent such an incident from happening again. “This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation,” said Tinubu. He also paid tribute to the Nigerian Air Force personnel across the country. “Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” he said.
The names of those killed in the crash have not been released yet. The authorities said the names of the officers would be released after notifying their families. The Nigerian Air Force carries out critical roles in combatting against various armed groups and insecurity in different parts of Nigeria.
The tragedy is the latest in a series of air accidents in Nigeria which claimed many lives. Nigeria’s army chief, Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru, was among 11 officers who were killed in a military aircraft crash in Kaduna State in May 2021.
Seven people also lost their lives in a military aircraft crash that occurred in Abuja in February 2021.
