The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed that an ATR-42 military aircraft crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday while flying from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos, with preliminary information indicating that 32 people were on board.
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The aircraft, identified by Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo as bearing tail number NGR 931, lost contact with air traffic controllers at about 9:13 a.m. before information later emerged that it had crashed close to the Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda.
Keyamo said preliminary information available to authorities showed that the aircraft was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members, bringing the total number of persons aboard to 32. The minister added that the wreckage had been located and that search-and-rescue operations were continuing.
The development provided greater clarity following earlier reports from the riverine community describing the aircraft as a helicopter and raising fears that several occupants might have died. The Nigerian Air Force subsequently identified the aircraft involved as an ATR-42, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft, rather than a helicopter.
Keyamo said air traffic controllers initially informed him that contact had been lost with the military aircraft while it was travelling from Benin to Lagos.
“All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive,” he said.
He explained that information received afterwards confirmed that the aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base at Igbokoda and that emergency teams had located the wreckage.
The minister stressed, however, that regulation and control of military aircraft do not fall under either the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development or the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
According to him, he had nevertheless spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the cooperation and assistance of the aviation authorities in the ongoing rescue operation.
The Nigerian Air Force, in a separate statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, confirmed that the aircraft belonged to the service and that it had been undertaking a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.
“The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred,” the Air Force said, adding that search-and-rescue efforts were being carried out alongside relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
NAF said it remained committed to the rescue effort and would release further information as details became available.
The Ondo State Police Command also confirmed an aircraft crash in the Igbokoda axis. Police Public Relations Officer DSP Abayomi Jimoh said details surrounding the incident were still emerging and that efforts were underway to establish the full circumstances.
The police urged residents of Igbokoda and neighbouring communities to remain calm and avoid circulating information that had not been verified, promising to provide further details once credible information became available.
Earlier accounts from residents had indicated that the aircraft went down in difficult swampy terrain around the coastal community. Witnesses reported hearing a loud sound before security and military personnel moved towards the area for rescue operations. Those initial accounts also prompted reports that occupants might have died, but authorities had not confirmed those claims.
As of the latest official updates, neither the Nigerian Air Force nor the Aviation Ministry had announced a confirmed number of deaths or survivors. International reporting similarly said authorities had yet to confirm casualties while the search-and-rescue operation continued.
The identities of the 25 passengers and seven crew members had also not been officially released.
The incident therefore remains an active rescue operation, with the casualty situation and circumstances that caused the aircraft to go down still awaiting official clarification from the Nigerian Air Force.
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