A Nigerian Air Force plane crashed on Monday in the country's southwestern Ondo state, killing all 32 people on board, President Bola Tinubu said. The incident is one of the worst air disasters in recent years in Africa's most populous country. The passenger aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin City in southern Nigeria to the economic hub of Lagos when it went down at Igbokoda in Ondo state.
The plane, an ATR-42 twin-engine turboprop, was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members, according to Tinubu's office. The president extended his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, describing the incident as a painful moment for the armed forces and the entire nation. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo earlier reported that the plane had crashed near a naval base.
According to eyewitness Dayo Akinte, a 39-year-old firewood hawker who lives near the crash site, she heard a sound she thought was thunder at the time of the crash. Since the incident, she reported seeing three aircraft flying over the scene. A person who went fishing in the swamp alerted the nearby naval base and people in the town about the crash.
The Nigerian Air Force has initiated a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash, as directed by President Tinubu, to prevent future occurrences. Airforce spokesman Ehimen Ejodame confirmed that search and rescue operations were ongoing in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies. The police also confirmed the accident but provided no additional details.
Igbokoda, where the crash occurred, is located in Ilaje, an oil-producing region in southern Nigeria. This incident is not the first of its kind in Nigeria; in May 2021, the country's top-ranking army commander, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 other officers were killed in a plane crash in bad weather while trying to land at northern Kaduna state airport.
There have been other notable aviation incidents in Nigeria in recent years. In August 2015, a military plane crashed into a house in northern Nigeria, killing everyone on board, while earlier that month, a helicopter crashed into a lagoon in Lagos, killing six, including the American pilot. President Tinubu has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
President Tinubu's office released a statement confirming the incident and expressing condolences to the families of the victims. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the Nigerian Air Force. The incident has raised concerns about aviation safety in Nigeria.
Key points
- All 32 people on board the Nigerian Air Force plane were killed in the crash.
- The plane was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed in Ondo state.
- The Nigerian Air Force has initiated an investigation into the cause of the crash.
