Nigeria: Tinubu Declares 3-Day Mourning As 32 Die in Military Plane Crash

LAGOS: A tragic accident claimed the lives of 32 individuals on a Nigerian Air Force plane on Monday, President Bola Tinubu announced. He declared three days of national mourning, marking one of the worst air disasters in recent years for Africa's most populous nation. The passenger aircraft was en route from Benin City to Lagos when it crashed near Igbokoda, a town in southwestern Ondo state, shortly after 9 a.m., according to the president and the air force.

President Tinubu expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the 25 passengers and seven crew members. The Air Force has announced a three-day mourning period and directed flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide. The identities of the victims will be released following notification to their families. The crash occurred near a naval base, according to the presidency and Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo.

Both emphasized that it was an ATR-42, a twin-engine turboprop capable of carrying between 30 and 50 passengers. Initially, a video on social media showed a small crowd gathered near a river during rescue operations. The president ordered an immediate investigation into the cause to prevent future incidents. Local resident Dayo Akinte, 39, recounted hearing a sound resembling thunder when she believed the plane had gone down.

Three additional aircraft have flown over the crash site since the accident, according to residents. Search and rescue efforts are underway in coordination with authorities and emergency response agencies. The police confirmed the incident but provided no further details. In May 2021, a military plane crashed in northern Nigeria during a landing attempt due to bad weather, killing Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 others.

In August 2015, a military plane crashed into a house, resulting in seven fatalities. In the same month, a helicopter crashed into a Lagos lagoon, killing six people, including an American pilot.