Nigerian Air Force plane crashes with 32 people on board; search continues

A Nigerian Air Force plane crashed on Monday in Igbokoda, Ondo State, and preliminary estimates indicate that 32 people were on board.

Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information at the Nigerian Air Force, confirmed the incident and said the service had immediately launched search-and-rescue operations in cooperation with the relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

He specified that the aircraft, an ATR-42 with registration number NGR 931, was operating a routine flight from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced that the aircraft disappeared from radar screens after air traffic controllers lost contact with it at around 09:13.

According to him, efforts to re-establish radio contact with the crew were unsuccessful before information arrived that the plane had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.

Keyamo said that the aircraft’s wreckage was subsequently located, while preliminary data indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board.

However, he did not disclose the condition or identities of those on board, as search-and-rescue operations were still ongoing.