Nigeria mourns as 32 killed in military plane crash

A military aircraft crash in southern Nigeria has claimed the lives of 32 individuals, prompting President Bola Tinubu to announce three days of national mourning.

The plane went down on Monday morning in Ondo State close to a naval station in Igbokoda. Officials stated that the flight was conducting a standard trip traveling from Benin City toward Lagos. Among those on board were 25 passengers along with seven crew members, none of whom survived.

President Tinubu described the incident as a "painful moment" affecting both the armed forces and the whole country. In honour of the victims, he directed that flags across the nation fly at half-mast and mandated an immediate and exhaustive investigation by the air force to determine what caused the disaster. Expressing his condolences, Tinubu commended the dedication of the air personnel, stating that their sacrifice would always be remembered.

Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo reported that authorities first detected the disappearance of the aircraft, bearing registration NGR 931, shortly after 09:13 local time during its journey to Lagos. Attempts by air controllers to establish radio communication with the crew were unsuccessful before officials confirmed that the plane had crashed.

Eyewitness accounts gathered by the BBC described smoke rising from a marshy area near the naval base where the crash took place, with personal items such as footwear and garments scattered around the scene. Emergency teams were deployed to carry out search and recovery operations.

The aircraft involved was identified as an ATR-42, a twin-turboprop model designed to seat between 30 and 50 people. Military authorities have withheld the names of those killed until their next of kin can be formally notified.

The tragedy ranks as one of the most severe military aviation disasters in Nigeria in recent memory. The Nigerian Air Force serves as an essential component in ongoing security operations countering armed factions across multiple regions of the country.

The armed services have suffered similar fatal air crashes in the past. In May 2021, an aircraft went down during adverse weather conditions in Kaduna State, resulting in the death of Nigeria's army chief, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, along with 10 accompanying officers. Earlier that year in February, another military plane crashed outside the runway in Abuja, killing seven people.