The Federal Government has confirmed the crash of a military aircraft in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, disappeared while flying from Benin to Lagos at about 9:13 a.m.
According to the minister, air traffic controllers lost communication with the aircraft after repeated attempts to contact the crew by radio failed.
He said subsequent information confirmed that the aircraft had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, where its wreckage was located.
“Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and seven crew members on board,” Keyamo said.
The development has raised fears over the fate of those on board, although the government has not yet released details on casualties.
Keyamo noted that military aviation operations fall outside the jurisdiction of his ministry and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
He, however, said he had contacted the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, to express the ministry’s support and readiness to assist the military authorities.
The minister assured that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development would provide necessary assistance to the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
“Further information on this unfortunate incident will be made available subsequently,” he added.
