Nigerian Air Force Plane Crashes in Ondo State Killing All 32 Onboard

All 32 people aboard a Nigerian Air Force passenger plane were killed on Monday after the aircraft went down in southwestern Ondo State, prompting President Bola Tinubu to declare three days of national mourning. The disaster stands as one of the deadliest aviation incidents in recent years for Africa’s most populous nation.

The twin-engine ATR-42 turboprop was conducting a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed shortly after 9 a.m. near Igbokoda, an oil-producing community in the Ilaje area. President Tinubu confirmed that the casualties comprised 25 passengers and seven crew members, describing the tragedy as a deeply painful moment for the armed forces and the entire nation.

Presidency spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced that national flags would fly at half-staff throughout the mourning period to honor the fallen personnel. Authorities confirmed that the identities of the victims would remain withheld until their next of kin were formally notified. Meanwhile, the president ordered the military to launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the incident to establish the cause and prevent future disasters.

According to statements from the presidency and Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, the aircraft crashed in close proximity to a local naval base. Footage shared on social media showed residents assembling along a riverbank as emergency responders deployed boats to conduct search operations across the surrounding waters. Air force spokesman Ehimen Ejodame confirmed that rescue efforts were mobilized in coordination with emergency agencies, while regional police acknowledged the accident without releasing further specifics.

Local resident Dayo Akinte, who lives roughly one kilometer from the crash zone, recalled hearing an intense blast resembling thunder around the time the plane went down. She noted that a local fisherman first raised the alarm, alerting naval personnel and nearby townspeople before multiple aircraft arrived to survey the scene.

Monday’s disaster follows previous deadly military air incidents in Nigeria. In May 2021, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, the nation’s chief of army staff, died alongside 10 other officers when their plane encountered severe weather while attempting to land in Kaduna State. Military aviation suffered another fatal loss in August 2015 when an aircraft struck a residential home in northern Nigeria, killing seven, just weeks before a commercial helicopter crash claimed six lives in a Lagos lagoon.