The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has confirmed that a military aircraft with 32 people on board crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
Keyamo disclosed this in a statement issued by the ministry on Monday, following the disappearance of the aircraft from radar while it was travelling from Benin to Lagos.
According to the minister, air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft, identified by its tail number as NGR 931, at about 9:13 am after efforts to reach it by radio failed.
He said, “I regret to inform the general public that Air Traffic Controllers have informed me of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, en route to Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours earlier today. All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive.”
Keyamo said the aircraft was later confirmed to have crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, with the wreckage located as search and rescue operations continued.
“Subsequently, information, however, confirmed that the military aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State. The wreckage has been located, and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” Keyamo stated.
The minister said preliminary information showed that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft.
“Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board,” he said.
Keyamo clarified that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority had no regulatory control over military aircraft, but said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, and offered assistance with the rescue efforts.
“Whilst the control and regulation of military aircraft are completely outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and the Civil Aviation Authority, I have just spoken to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, and pledged our total cooperation and assistance in the search and rescue efforts ongoing,” he said.
He added that more information would be released as it became available.
“Further information on this unfortunate incident will be made available subsequently.”
