Nigeria mourns as 32 killed in military plane crash
President Bola Tinubu describes the crash as a "painful moment" for the military and the entire nation.
Nigeria grieves after military plane crash kills 32
The aircraft went down near a swampy area in Ondo state
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has announced three days of national mourning after a military plane crashed in southern Ondo State, leaving 32 people dead.
Officials said the aircraft was carrying out a routine flight from Benin City to Lagos when it went down near a naval base on Monday morning.
A local resident told the BBC that the plane had come down close to a swamp and that clothes and shoes were seen at the scene. Smoke was also observed rising from the area.
Tinubu expressed his deepest condolences to the 25 passengers and seven crew members aboard the aircraft and ordered a full investigation.
He also directed that national flags be flown at half-mast nationwide as a sign of respect for those who died.
"This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation," Tinubu said.
"Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten," he added.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo earlier said he had been informed "of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, enroute Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours earlier today".
He said "efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive" before it was later confirmed to have crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo state.
He said search and rescue efforts were ongoing.
The crashed plane, identified as an ATR-42 aircraft, is said by its manufacturers to carry between 30 and 50 passengers.
Tinubu has instructed the Air Force to begin an immediate and thorough investigation into the cause of the crash in order to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
The identities of those who died have not yet been made public. Authorities say the officers’ names will be released after their families have been informed.
The Nigerian Air Force is a major part of the country’s military operations, including efforts to confront armed groups and insecurity in several regions.
The accident is one of the deadliest air disasters in Nigeria in recent years.
In May 2021, Nigeria’s army chief, Lt-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, was killed in a plane crash with 10 other officers in the north-western state of Kaduna amid bad weather.
In February of the same year, seven people died after a military plane crashed short of a runway in the capital Abuja.