A military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, which was flying from Benin to Lagos, has crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, saying search and rescue operations were ongoing.
According to Keyamo, Air Traffic Controllers reported the disappearance of the aircraft at about 9:13 a.m. after repeated attempts to establish radio contact with the crew failed.
He said the wreckage was subsequently located close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, with emergency responders and relevant authorities continuing efforts at the scene.
The minister said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members, making 32 people in all, were on board the aircraft.
Keyamo, however, clarified that the control and regulation of military aircraft fall outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
He said he had spoken with the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and assured the Nigerian Air Force of the ministry’s full cooperation and assistance in the ongoing search and rescue operation.
The minister said further details on the incident would be released as more information becomes available.
The cause of the crash and the condition of those on board had not been officially established at the time of the statement.
