A Nigerian Air Force plane crashed yesterday (Monday) in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State, southwestern Nigeria, killing all 32 people on board. The dead include 25 passengers and seven crew members, President Bola Tinubu confirmed.
The aircraft, an ATR-42, was on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos when contact was lost and it disappeared from radar screens. Its wreckage was later located in a swampy area near a Nigerian Navy base in Igbokoda.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud noise before the plane went down near a river. Parts of the aircraft were found in the water, along with personal belongings of passengers and crew scattered in the surrounding area.
The Nigerian Air Force immediately deployed search and rescue teams after the crash. It was later confirmed that no survivors were found. President Tinubu ordered a full investigation into the circumstances of the crash and the factors that led to the loss of contact with the aircraft.
Following the disaster, Nigeria declared three days of national mourning, with flags across the country lowered to half-mast. President Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of the air force personnel and passengers, calling it a painful moment for the armed forces and for the entire nation.
