Breaking .....NAF aircraft crashes in Ondo, 32 aboard

By Johnson Arua

An aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has crashed in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, with 32 persons, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members, reportedly on board.

The aircraft, identified as an ATR-42 with registration number NGR 931, was said to have been on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when it crashed on Monday.

The incident prompted an immediate search-and-rescue operation by the NAF in collaboration with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.

Confirming the crash, the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

Ejodame said search-and-rescue operations were ongoing, adding that further details would be released as they became available.

He said: “The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.

“Search and rescue operations, in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies, are currently ongoing.

“The NAF is committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing search and rescue efforts. Further details will be communicated in due course.”

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, also confirmed the incident, saying the aircraft disappeared from radar after air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m.

According to Keyamo, the aircraft was travelling from Benin to Lagos when repeated attempts to establish radio communication with the crew failed.

He said subsequent information indicated that the aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, with the wreckage later located.

“Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and seven crew members on board,” the minister said.

Keyamo, however, did not disclose the identities of those on board or their condition, saying search-and-rescue operations were still in progress.

The minister also clarified that the control and regulation of military aircraft were outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

He said he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and assured the NAF of the ministry’s full cooperation and assistance in the ongoing operation.

“Further information on this unfortunate incident will be made available subsequently,” Keyamo said.

Earlier, a community leader in Igbokoda had confirmed reports of the crash but said residents were yet to establish the exact location of the aircraft or details of the incident.

“Yes, it is true. A helicopter crashed at Igbokoda, Ondo State. But we don’t know the exact place and other details,” he said.

However, subsequent official accounts identified the aircraft as an ATR-42 and indicated that its wreckage had been located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda.

As of the time of filing this report, authorities had yet to announce the fate of the 32 persons reportedly on board, while search-and-rescue operations continued.