UPDATED: 32 aboard NAF aircraft as Keyamo confirms Ondo crash
By Julius Alabi, Akure
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed the ownership of an ATR-42 aircraft that crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday, as the Federal Government disclosed that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft.
The aircraft, according to the NAF, was on a routine mission from Benin, Edo State, to Lagos when the accident occurred.
The confirmation came in a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, who said the service had immediately activated search and rescue operations in collaboration with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
Ejodame said the NAF was committed to ensuring the success of the ongoing rescue operation, adding that further details would be made available as the operation progresses.
The aircraft reportedly crashed into a swampy area close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda at about 11:00 a.m., with emergency responders and security agencies mobilising to the scene.
Also confirming the crash, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said he was informed of the aircraft’s disappearance after air traffic controllers were unable to establish communication with it.
Keyamo, in a statement on X, said: “All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive.”
He added that subsequent information confirmed that the military aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, noting that the wreckage had been located while search and rescue operations were ongoing.
According to the minister, preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft, bringing the total number of people on board to 32.
Keyamo said that although the control and regulation of military aircraft were outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the ministry’s total cooperation and assistance in the rescue efforts.
He said further information would be released as it became available, while the NAF continued its search and rescue operation in coordination with other relevant agencies.
