Thirty-two people were on board a Nigerian Air Force aircraft that crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State on Monday, with search-and-rescue operations underway.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the aircraft had 25 passengers and seven crew members on board when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13am.
He said efforts to re-establish radio contact with the aircraft were unsuccessful before authorities received information that it had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
“Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and seven crew members on board,” Keyamo said.
The minister did not disclose the identities or condition of those aboard, stressing that search-and-rescue operations were still ongoing.
The Nigerian Air Force also confirmed the incident, saying it had activated an immediate search-and-rescue operation in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
The NAF said the ATR-42 aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.
“The Nigerian Air Force has activated an immediate Search and Rescue operation following an ATR-42 aircraft accident in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State,” the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said.
Keyamo said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and assured the NAF of the ministry’s support for the rescue effort.
He also clarified that military aircraft operations fall outside the regulatory authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
Neither the NAF nor the minister disclosed the cause of the crash, while details of possible casualties were yet to be established as of Monday afternoon.
Keyamo said further information would be released as the rescue operation progressed.
“Further information on this unfortunate incident will be made available subsequently,” he said.
The ATR-42 is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft used for regional and specialised operations. The NAF operates the aircraft for missions including surveillance and maritime patrol.
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