Qatar’s leadership has sent condolences to President Bola Tinubu following the deaths of Nigerian military personnel in a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Ondo State.
The condolences were conveyed in separate cables from Qatar’s Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani; Deputy Amir, Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani; and Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, according to the Qatar News Agency.
The aircraft, an ATR 42, crashed near Igbokoda in Ondo State on Oct. 5 while travelling from Benin City to Lagos on a routine mission. The crash claimed the lives of personnel on board, prompting the Nigerian government to declare three days of national mourning and order flags flown at half mast.
Tinubu directed the Nigerian Air Force to investigate the cause of the accident and expressed condolences to the victims’ families and the military.
The Air Force said the aircraft was conducting a routine mission when it crashed near a naval base in the Igbokoda area. Authorities have yet to establish the cause of the incident.
Qatar and Nigeria maintain diplomatic and economic relations, with cooperation spanning areas including energy, agriculture and labour mobility. Qatar’s messages of condolence follow the tragedy as Nigeria mourns the loss of military personnel and awaits the outcome of the investigation.
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