Abuja (Monitoring Desk) — A Nigerian Air Force aircraft crashed near a river in the southwestern state of Ondo, killing all 32 people on board.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over the crash and offered condolences to the affected families.
According to the Nigerian Air Force, the aircraft was traveling from the southern city of Benin City to the commercial hub of Lagos on a routine mission when it crashed in the Igbo-Koda area of Ondo at around 9 a.m. local time.
According to the presidential office, 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft, and none survived. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said the aircraft crashed near a naval base, after which rescue teams reached the site and began operations.
President Tinubu ordered the Nigerian Air Force to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the crash to determine its cause and take measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.
A local resident, Dayo Akintoye, said he heard a loud noise at the time of the crash, which he initially thought was thunder. A local fisherman informed the nearby naval base and residents of the aircraft crash.
Igbo-Koda is located in the Ilaje district of Ondo State, which is also an oil-producing region of Nigeria.