A military aircraft with 32 people on board crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday morning.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the incident in a statement posted on X.
Keyamo said Air Traffic Controllers lost contact with the aircraft, tail number NGR 931, at about 09:13 hours while enroute Lagos from Benin, Edo State. All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive.
He said the wreckage was later located close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, where search and rescue operations are ongoing.
According to the minister, preliminary information indicates there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board.
The has also confirmed the crash. In a statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the NAF said the aircraft was an ATR-42 on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred on October 5, 2026.
“The Nigerian Air Force has activated an immediate Search and Rescue operation following an ATR-42 aircraft accident in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State,” Ejodame said, adding that operations are being coordinated with relevant authorities and emergency agencies.
Earlier, the Chairman of Ilaje Local Government, Maurice Oripelaye, confirmed the crash, saying the aircraft was burnt beyond recognition and military gear was found at the scene.
The Ondo State Police Command, through its spokesperson DSP Abayomi Jimoh, also confirmed the incident in the Igbokoda axis, saying investigations have commenced and details are still emerging.
Keyamo noted that military aircraft are outside the regulatory authority of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, but said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged total cooperation with rescue efforts.
There was no immediate confirmation of casualties as of press time.
