A routine flight ends in tragedy
According to officials, a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 went down in the southern part of Nigeria on Monday with 25 passengers and seven crew members aboard. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said in a statement that the plane was flying a routine mission toward Lagos, the nation's economic center, when it crashed in Ondo state's Igbokoda area. Keyamo noted the aircraft had taken off from Benin in Edo state and was roughly midway through its trip at the time of the crash.[S1][S2]
The aircraft disappeared from radar at approximately 9 a.m. local time (7:00 a.m. GMT), Keyamo said. Air traffic controllers tried unsuccessfully to raise the plane on radio before confirming it had crashed close to a naval base. The wreckage was later located, and search and rescue operations were launched in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies, according to air force spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame.[S1][S2]
No survivors, president confirms
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu subsequently said that all 32 people aboard the flight lost their lives, offering his deepest sympathies to the families of those killed. Earlier in the day, no details about casualties had been available. The Nigerian Air Force named the plane as an ATR-42, a model the military has used in the past for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, as well as for carrying personnel and supplies.[S1][S2]
Locals near the crash site described hearing a loud noise and seeing the plane clip trees before coming down near a river. One witness, Akinbulejo Pius, said the impact sounded like a thunder strike, and that body parts, clothing and shoes were found scattered in the area. Video circulating on social media showed a small crowd gathered by the river as rescuers searched by boat. Keyamo said the control and regulation of military aircraft fall outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and the Civil Aviation Authority, but he had spoken to Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and pledged full cooperation with the ongoing search and rescue efforts.[S1][S2]
