Twenty-five passengers and seven crew members were aboard a military aircraft that crashed in Ondo State on Monday, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has disclosed.
The aircraft, identified by its tail number as NGR 931, was travelling from Lagos towards Benin in Edo State when contact with it was lost.
Keyamo said air traffic controllers were alerted after attempts to reach the aircraft by radio failed.
“I regret to inform the general public that Air Traffic Controllers have informed me of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931,” the minister said.
He said information received later confirmed that the aircraft had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, within the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
According to the minister, the wreckage had been located while search and rescue operations were already underway.
“Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board,” Keyamo said.
He also clarified that military aircraft operations do not fall under the regulatory authority of the Ministry of Aviation or the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
Despite this, Keyamo said he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the ministry’s cooperation and support for the ongoing rescue efforts.
He said further details would be released as more information becomes available.
The crash occurred around the Igbokoda axis of Ondo State, with the incident drawing the attention of local authorities and residents in surrounding communities.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed that information about the crash was still developing and appealed to residents to remain calm.
Police spokesperson Abayomi Jimoh urged members of the public, especially those in Igbokoda and neighbouring communities, not to circulate information that had not been verified.
The circumstances surrounding the crash, as well as the condition of those who were on board, remained subject to ongoing search and rescue efforts at the time of the update.
