32 Missing as Military Aircraft Crashes in Ondo

By Eric Chukwunoso, Warri.

Tragedy struck early Monday in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government in Ondo State, when a military aircraft with 32 persons on board crashed into a swampy terrain opposite the Naval Base.

The 25 passengers and 7 crew members were en route from Benin to Lagos when Air Traffic Controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 9:13 a.m.

The wreckage of the aircraft, tail number NGR 931, has been located, burnt to rubble, with military gear scattered at the scene, as families now anxiously await news of their loved ones.

The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, who confirmed the incident in a statement on X, said all efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive before the crash was confirmed.

The Nigerian Air Force, which has activated search and rescue operations alongside other emergency agencies, said the ATR-42 aircraft was on a routine mission.

NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said rescue efforts are ongoing, while the Ilaje Local Government Chairman, Maurice Oripelaye, also confirmed the crash but said the number of survivors was yet to be ascertained.