Scores feared dead as military aircraft crashes in Nigeria

A military aircraft carrying 32 people disintegrated near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, located in Nigeria's Ondo State. The search and rescue operations are currently in full swing. Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, informed that the plane, identified by the tail number NGR 931, vanished while on a journey from Benin to Lagos around 9:13 a.m. Air traffic controllers lost communication with the aircraft after multiple attempts to reach the crew via radio were unsuccessful.

The wreckage of the plane has since been discovered close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda. Based on initial reports, 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the military aircraft. The exact number of fatalities has not been confirmed yet, as rescue teams are still actively working at the crash site. Keyamo assured the Nigerian military of the Ministry of Aviation’s support and cooperation in the ongoing search and rescue operation.

He also clarified that the responsibility for both the regulation and control of military aircraft lies outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. Additional information regarding the state of those on board and the circumstances that led to the crash is anticipated as the search and rescue endeavors continue.