Twenty five people were killed when a Nigerian Air Force ATR 42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ondo State, while on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos, the Nigerian Air Force said Tuesday, revising an earlier government figure of 32 people aboard the aircraft.
The Air Force said NAF 931 had 25 people on board, comprising five crew members and 20 passengers, and that no survivors had been found following the crash. The aircraft went down in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area on Monday.
The aircraft disappeared from radar after air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m. Monday. Its wreckage was later located near a naval base in the riverine community, prompting search and rescue operations involving the Air Force and other emergency agencies.
The aircraft was identified as an ATR 42 configured for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. The Nigerian Air Force operates the type for maritime patrol, surveillance and other military missions.
The crash initially generated conflicting casualty figures. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said Monday that preliminary information indicated 25 passengers and seven crew members, bringing the number aboard to 32. President Bola Tinubu subsequently expressed condolences to the families of the 32 people reported to have been aboard.
However, the Air Force’s updated account released Tuesday identified 25 people aboard the aircraft, comprising 20 passengers and five crew members. The service also released the names of those killed and said it would continue providing verified information as investigations progress.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, described the crash as a deeply painful moment for the Nigerian Air Force and the country and expressed condolences to the families, colleagues and loved ones of the victims.
Aneke also directed a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident. The Air Force urged the public to avoid speculation and the circulation of unverified information while the investigation continues.
President Tinubu on Monday ordered the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the crash and declared three days of national mourning for the victims. He also directed that national flags be flown at half mast across the country.
The president described the crash as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and expressed condolences to the families of those killed.
The ATR 42 involved in the accident was identified as NAF 931, one of two ATR 42 500MP aircraft acquired by the Nigerian Air Force under a 2007 contract. The aircraft was delivered to Nigeria in 2010 and was configured primarily for maritime patrol and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The crash has renewed attention on the safety and operational demands facing Nigeria’s military aviation fleet. The outcome of the investigation is expected to establish the circumstances that led to the accident and determine whether operational, technical or other factors contributed to the crash.
For the families of the victims and the Nigerian Armed Forces, the immediate priority remains identification, recovery and dignified handling of the deceased, while authorities work to establish the cause of one of the country’s deadliest recent military aviation accidents.
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