The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has confirmed the crash of a Nigerian military aircraft in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
In a statement, Keyamo said the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, disappeared from radar at about 9:13 a.m. while en route from Benin to Lagos, after air traffic controllers lost contact with it.
He said all efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive before information later confirmed that it had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
According to the Minister, the wreckage of the aircraft has been located, while search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Keyamo said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members, making a total of 32 persons, were on board the aircraft.
He explained that although the control and regulation of military aircraft are outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the Ministry’s total cooperation and assistance in the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
