President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning following the military aircraft crash in Ondo State, with all 32 people on board reported dead.
The president also ordered that Nigerian flags be flown at half-mast across the country as a mark of respect for the victims and directed the Nigerian Air Force to investigate the cause of the crash.
The aircraft was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members when it crashed around Igbokoda in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu expressed his condolences to the families of those who died, as well as the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and the wider Nigerian Air Force.
A military source confirmed that all 32 people aboard the aircraft died in the crash.
According to the presidency and the Air Force, the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin City in Edo State to Lagos when it went down shortly after 9 a.m.
Tinubu described the incident as a painful loss for the country and the Armed Forces, noting the risks military personnel face in protecting Nigeria.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Tinubu said.
The president also commended the Nigerian Air Force for quickly activating search and rescue operations following the crash.
He prayed for the victims and asked God to give their families and the Nigerian Air Force the strength to cope with the loss.
“I commend the Nigerian Air Force for activating an immediate Search and Rescue operation following the accident,” he said.
Tinubu also praised first responders and the Ondo State Government for their response at the crash site, while assuring the Nigerian Air Force of his administration’s continued support.
The identities of the victims will be made public by the Air Force after their families have been formally notified, according to the presidency.
Earlier, Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo said the aircraft had crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda.
Keyamo and Tinubu identified the aircraft as an ATR-42, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft capable of carrying between 30 and 50 passengers, depending on its configuration.
Videos circulating after the incident showed people gathered near a river while rescue personnel searched the area using boats.
Tinubu subsequently directed the Air Force to carry out a full investigation into the crash.
“I have directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash to prevent future occurrences,” the president said.
A resident of the area, 39-year-old Dayo Akinte, said she heard a sound she initially thought was thunder around the time the aircraft went down.
Akinte, who lives about one kilometre from the crash site and works as a firewood seller, also said she noticed three aircraft flying over the area after the incident.
She explained that a person who had gone fishing in the swamp discovered the incident and alerted the nearby naval base and residents of the community.
The crash occurred in Igbokoda, located in Ilaje, an oil-producing part of southern Ondo State.
As the three-day mourning period begins, authorities are expected to focus on identifying the victims and determining what caused the military aircraft to crash.
