A Nigerian Air Force military aircraft crashed in southwestern Nigeria on October 5, killing all 32 people on board, including 25 passengers and seven crew members. The ATR-42 aircraft was carrying out a routine mission from Benin City in Edo State to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it.
The aircraft, identified by tail number NGR 931, crashed near the coastal town of Igbokoda in Ondo State, close to a naval base. Nigerian authorities said air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at around 9:13 a.m. local time, after which efforts to establish communication with the aircraft were unsuccessful. The wreckage was subsequently located in the Igbokoda area.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 and said it had been operating a routine mission. Search and rescue teams were immediately deployed to the crash site in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies. Initial reports indicated that the aircraft had come down in a swampy area near the naval base.
President Bola Tinubu later confirmed that there were no survivors. He expressed his condolences to the families of those who died and directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash. The investigation is expected to determine the circumstances that led to the loss of the aircraft and its occupants.
The Nigerian government has also declared three days of national mourning for the Air Force personnel who died in the accident, with flags ordered to be flown at half-mast across the country. The names of the military personnel involved are expected to be released after their families have been formally notified.
The ATR-42 aircraft operated by the Nigerian Air Force has been used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, as well as maritime operations and personnel or logistics transportation. The crash represents a major loss for the Nigerian Armed Forces, while the investigation will now focus on establishing what caused the aircraft to go down during its routine flight to Lagos.
The incident has drawn attention to aviation safety within Nigeria’s military as authorities continue recovery operations and work to establish the full circumstances surrounding one of the country’s deadliest recent military aviation accidents.