A Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed on Monday in the southwestern state of Ondo, killing all 32 people on board, President Bola Tinubu said. The 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard an ATR-42, a twin-engine turboprop that its manufacturers say can carry 30 to 50 passengers. It was on what officials called a routine mission from Benin City, in southern Nigeria, to Lagos, the country's economic hub.
The aircraft disappeared from radar at around 9 a.m. local time, roughly midway through the journey, according to Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo. It came down in a swampy area of Igbokoda, the headquarters of the Ilaje local government area, opposite a naval base. Ilaje is an oil-producing part of southern Nigeria. Air Force spokesman Ehimen Ejodame gave the aircraft's tail number as NGR 931 and said search and rescue operations were under way in coordination with emergency agencies. Early reports noted that it was initially unclear whether there were casualties, but the presidency later said no one had survived. Police also confirmed the crash without giving details.
Local residents described the moments around the crash. Dayo Akinte, a 39-year-old firewood seller living about a kilometre away, told AFP she heard a sound she took for thunder and that three aircraft were circling the site afterwards. She said a person fishing in the swamp alerted the nearby naval base and townspeople. A video circulating on social media showed a small group near a river while rescue teams searched the area by boat.
Tinubu's office said the president offered his deepest condolences to the families, calling it "a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation." He declared three days of national mourning, ordered flags flown at half-mast, and directed the Air Force to start a thorough investigation into the cause to prevent future accidents. The Air Force will publish the victims' names after contacting their families. Ondo Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ordered state emergency and health agencies to support the rescue effort, had the area cordoned off, and urged residents to stay calm and avoid spreading unverified information.
The crash is among the deadliest air disasters in Nigeria in recent years. Africa's most populous country has seen several military aviation accidents. In May 2021, the army chief, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and ten other officers died when their plane crashed in bad weather while landing at Kaduna in the north. In August 2015, seven people died when a military aircraft fell on a house in northern Nigeria, and a helicopter crash in a Lagos lagoon the same month killed six people.
The cause of Monday's crash has not been established, and the investigation by the Air Force is expected to be the main source of answers for the families and the public.