Tragedy struck on Monday morning after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State, with 32 people reportedly on board.
Newsonspot gathered that the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, was said to be on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it disappeared from radar and subsequently crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the incident in a statement, saying Air Traffic Controllers alerted him after the aircraft disappeared while en route to Lagos at about 9:13 a.m.
According to Keyamo, efforts to establish radio contact with the aircraft after it went missing were unsuccessful before subsequent information confirmed that it had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
He said the wreckage of the aircraft had been located, while search and rescue operations were ongoing at the scene.
Preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board, bringing the reported number of people aboard to 32.
The Nigerian Air Force also confirmed the crash in a statement signed by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame.
“The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred,” Ejodame said.
He added that search and rescue operations were being conducted in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
“The NAF is committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing search and rescue efforts. Further details will be communicated in due course,” he said.
Keyamo noted that the control and regulation of military aircraft fall outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
However, the minister said he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and assured the NAF of the ministry’s full cooperation and assistance in the ongoing search and rescue operation.
Authorities are expected to provide further details as efforts continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash.
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