Military Chiefs were meeting all day Monday shortly after the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo confirmed that 32 persons were killed after a military helicopter crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State, on Monday.
Keyamo said preliminary information showed that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft, which was en route from Benin to Lagos when it disappeared from the radar.
The minister disclosed that Air Traffic Controllers alerted him after losing contact with the military helicopter, identified by its tail number as NGR 931.
Keyamo said the aircraft disappeared at 0913 hours, after which repeated attempts to establish radio contact with the helicopter proved unsuccessful.
“All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive. Subsequently information however confirmed that the military aircraft has crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State,” he said.
The wreckage has since been located near the Naval Base, while search and rescue operations are ongoing. The development follows earlier reports that a helicopter had crashed in a riverine area around Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area.
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Residents had reported panic in the community as security agencies and emergency personnel moved into the area to search for survivors and determine the extent of the incident. Personnel from the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base in the area also joined the rescue efforts.
The Ondo State Police Command had earlier confirmed the crash through its spokesperson, Jimoh Abayomi, who said further details would be provided as they became available.
The crash occurred in the coastal part of Ondo State, where waterways are prominent features of transportation and movement between communities.
Keyamo said although the control and regulation of military aircraft fall outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the ministry’s cooperation in the ongoing response.
“Whilst the control and regulation of military aircraft are completely outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation, and Civil Aviation Authority, I have just spoken to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and pledged our total cooperation and assistance in the search and rescue efforts ongoing,” he said.
The cause of the crash has not been disclosed, while further details on the circumstances surrounding the incident are expected as authorities continue their investigation.
