By Ayomide Otitoju
President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning following the crash of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft in Ondo State that killed all 32 people on board.
The President also ordered that national flags be flown at half-mast across the country in honour of the victims and directed the Nigerian Air Force to investigate the cause of the crash.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying Tinubu extended his condolences to the families of the 25 passengers and seven crew members, as well as the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and personnel of the Nigerian Air Force.
A military source confirmed to Channels Television that all 32 people aboard the aircraft died in the crash.
The aircraft was reportedly on a routine mission from Benin City, Edo State, to Lagos when it crashed near Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State shortly after 9am on Monday.
Tinubu described the incident as a painful moment for the Armed Forces and the country, noting that military personnel risk their lives daily in the service of the nation.
“This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation. Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the President said.
He commended the Nigerian Air Force for immediately activating a search-and-rescue operation, as well as first responders and the Ondo State Government for their response at the crash site.
The President also assured the Air Force of the continued support of his administration.
The Presidency said the identities of the victims would be released by the Nigerian Air Force after their families had been notified.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, earlier said on X that the aircraft crashed near a naval base.
Keyamo and the President identified the aircraft as an ATR-42, a twin-engine turboprop aircraft designed to carry between 30 and 50 passengers.
Tinubu directed the Nigerian Air Force to commence a “thorough investigation” into the incident to establish the cause of the crash and prevent similar occurrences.
A video circulating on social media showed residents gathered near a river as rescuers searched the area by boat.
A resident of the area, Dayo Akinte, 39, told AFP that she heard what sounded like thunder around the time of the crash.
She said three aircraft had also been flying over the crash site following the incident, adding that a fisherman who witnessed the crash alerted the nearby naval base and residents.
Igbokoda is located in Ilaje Local Government Area, an oil-producing region in southern Ondo State.
