Tinubu Declares three days’ mourning as military plane crash claims 32 lives

President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning following the crash of a military aircraft in a swamp near Igbokoda, Ondo State, which claimed the lives of all 32 people on board.

The victims comprised 25 passengers and seven crew members who were on board the aircraft when it crashed on Monday morning.

The aircraft was reportedly on a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos when it went down near a naval base in Igbokoda. Authorities later confirmed that the aircraft had been submerged in water at the crash site.

President Tinubu expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and described the incident as a painful moment for the Nigerian Armed Forces and the entire nation.

He also ordered that national flags be flown at half-mast across the country as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives.

“Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Tinubu said.

The President further directed the Nigerian Air Force to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash and identify measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo had earlier disclosed that he was informed of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931 while en route from Benin to Lagos at about 9:13 a.m.

According to Keyamo, efforts to establish contact with the aircraft by radio proved unsuccessful before authorities subsequently confirmed that it had crashed near the naval base in Igbokoda.

Search and rescue operations were launched following the incident.

The crashed aircraft, identified as an ATR-42, has a typical passenger capacity of between 30 and 50 people, depending on its configuration.

The Nigerian Air Force plays a key role in the country’s military operations, including efforts to tackle armed groups and insecurity across several parts of the country.

The incident is one of the deadliest military aviation accidents recorded in Nigeria in recent years.

In May 2021, former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 other military officers were killed when their aircraft crashed in Kaduna State amid bad weather.

Earlier in February 2021, seven people died when a military aircraft crashed while attempting to land in Abuja.