Military Aircraft Crashes in Ondo, More Than 30 Feared Dead

More than 30 people are feared dead after a military aircraft crashed near Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area in Ondo State, southwest Nigeria.

The crash triggered panic in the coastal community, with emergency responders and security personnel deployed to the area as authorities began search and rescue operations.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo confirmed the incident, saying air traffic controllers reported the disappearance of the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, while it was travelling from Benin to Lagos.

Keyamo said the aircraft stopped responding to radio communication at about 9:13 a.m., prompting efforts to establish contact. When those efforts failed, authorities later received information that the aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.

The minister said the wreckage had been located and that search and rescue operations were underway. Preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board, putting the number of people aboard at 32.

Keyamo stressed that the regulation and control of military aircraft fall outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. However, he said the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, had pledged full cooperation and assistance with the rescue operation.

Authorities are expected to provide further details as the search continues and investigators establish the circumstances surrounding the crash. The identities and condition of those on board had not been fully confirmed at the time of the initial report.