A routine Nigerian Air Force flight from Benin City to Lagos ended in tragedy on Monday after the aircraft disappeared from radar minutes after take-off and crashed into a swamp in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The crash killed all 32 people on board, and authorities are currently investigating what caused the aircraft to go down.
The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft, with tail number NOR 931, was flying from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 9:13 a.m.
A senior air traffic controller familiar with the aircraft’s final journey said communication had been established shortly after take-off but was later lost. Repeated attempts to reconnect with the aircraft were unsuccessful.
The controller said personnel at nearby reporting points in Okitipupa subsequently heard a loud bang believed to have come from the crash site.
The loss of communication triggered an immediate search-and-rescue operation by the military as authorities attempted to establish the aircraft’s location.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo confirmed that air traffic controllers had alerted him after the aircraft disappeared from radar.
He later confirmed that the wreckage had been located close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
Keyamo said 32 people were on board, comprising 25 passengers and seven crew members.
The Nigerian Air Force said the aircraft was carrying out a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred.
Its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said an immediate search-and-rescue operation had been activated in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency agencies.
The aircraft came down in a swampy area within the creek, making it difficult for military personnel and emergency responders to reach the wreckage.
Local fishermen joined the rescue operation as military officers from a nearby base worked to gain access to the aircraft.
An eyewitness said military personnel and fishermen were at the scene but struggled to remove the wreckage because much of the aircraft had entered the swamp.
Another resident, identified as Sola, said the incident occurred while it was drizzling. He said residents heard a loud sound but could not immediately reach the location because of the surrounding swamp and creek.
The incident initially caused confusion among residents, with some believing that a helicopter had crashed.
The Nigerian Air Force later confirmed that the aircraft was an ATR-42 fixed-wing military aircraft.
The monarch of Igbokoda, Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, said he was in court when he received news of the crash and directed palace officials to visit the site.
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The monarch said the aircraft landed in a river and swampy area and did not catch fire. He added that a substantial portion of the aircraft had gone into the water, making it difficult to establish the full situation immediately.
He later said information gathered from the scene indicated that there were no survivors.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa also expressed sadness over the crash and activated relevant state agencies to support the response.
The governor said he had contacted the Nigerian Air Force leadership, the chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, Maurice Oripelaye, and security agencies operating at the crash site.
Aiyedatiwa later told Channels Television that responders had not found any survivor. He said they recovered parts of the wreckage, identification cards and military uniforms, which helped establish that the aircraft was a military plane.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough investigation into the crash.
Tinubu described the incident as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and extended condolences to the families of those on board, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Kelvin Aneke, and the wider Nigerian Air Force.
The President also commended the military, first responders and Ondo State Government for their response to the crash.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Police Command confirmed that it had begun investigating the incident.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said details surrounding the crash were still emerging and urged residents of Igbokoda and neighborliness communities not to circulate unverified information.
Investigators are also expected to focus on the aircraft’s flight recorder, commonly called the black box, which had not been recovered at the time of filing the report.
The recorder could provide important information about the aircraft’s final moments, including its flight parameters and cockpit communications.
The National Safety Investigation Bureau has indicated its readiness to assist with the recovery and analysis of the flight recorder if requested by the military.
Investigators are expected to examine the aircraft’s communication with air traffic controllers, weather conditions, maintenance records, technical condition, flight path and crew actions as they work to determine what caused the crash.
Some witnesses claimed the aircraft circled several times before plunging into the swamp as rainfall increased.
That account has not been independently verified or confirmed by the Nigerian Air Force.
The crash occurred in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, a coastal community where the presence of aircraft is not unusual because of activities around the oil-producing area.
However, there is no official indication that the crashed aircraft was involved in an oil-related operation.
For now, the exact cause of the crash remains unknown.
Recovery efforts and investigations are continuing as authorities work to recover the victims, secure the wreckage and determine why the aircraft disappeared from radar shortly after take-off.
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