President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) ATR-42 aircraft in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The President also directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the military personnel who lost their lives in the tragic incident.
The aircraft, which was carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members, crashed on Monday morning in a swampy area near a naval base in Igbokoda while undertaking a routine mission from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos.
The Nigerian Air Force confirmed the crash and said it immediately activated a search-and-rescue operation in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency agencies.
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, however, said there were no confirmed survivors from the crash as of the time of his latest briefing.
Aiyedatiwa said he received information about the incident at about 10:30am from the chairman of Ilaje LGA. According to him, residents and personnel around the naval base initially heard a sound resembling an earth tremor before witnesses reportedly saw the aircraft plunge into the swamp.
He said Navy personnel initially approached the crash site cautiously to establish that there was no risk of fire or explosion before joining the search operation.
Officials of the local emergency management agency, residents, security personnel and members of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, Amotekun, subsequently joined the rescue effort.
“From the information we got, no single life was saved up to this moment,” the governor said, adding that rescuers recovered aircraft wreckage, identification cards and part of a military uniform from the site.
The ATR-42 aircraft was reportedly used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as well as air maritime operations.
Reacting to the tragedy, President Tinubu described the crash as a “painful moment” for the Armed Forces and the entire nation.
The President said he had been briefed by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, and ordered the NAF to immediately commence a thorough investigation into the cause of the crash, with the aim of preventing a recurrence.
“Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” Tinubu said.
He commiserated with the families of the deceased personnel, the Chief of Air Staff and the entire Nigerian Air Force, praying for the repose of the souls of those who died.
The President also commended the NAF for promptly activating search-and-rescue operations, as well as first responders and the Ondo State Government for their swift response.
The Presidency said the names of the deceased officers and personnel would be released after their families had been formally contacted.
The tragedy has cast a sombre mood over the Armed Forces and Ondo State, with the victims remembered as personnel who lost their lives while carrying out duties in the service of the nation.
