Lagos, Oct 5 (V7N) – A Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed on Monday in southwestern Nigeria's Ondo state with 32 people on board, according to the military and the aviation minister.
Air Force spokesman Ehimen Ejodame said the aircraft was on a "routine mission" from Benin City in Nigeria's south to the economic hub Lagos when it went down at Igbokoda in Ondo state.
"Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board," Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said on X. Keyamo added that the wreckage of the aircraft, which crashed near a naval base, had been found.
A video circulating on social media showed a small crowd gathered near a river as rescuers searched the area by boat. "Search and rescue operations, in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies, are currently ongoing," Ejodame said.
The crash is the latest in a series of aviation incidents in Nigeria, which has a mixed air safety record. The Nigerian Air Force operates a fleet of aircraft for various missions, including transport, surveillance, and combat operations. The cause of the crash remains unknown, and investigations are expected to commence once rescue operations are concluded.
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