Military plane with 32 onboard crashes in Nigeria's Ondo State
A Nigerian military aircraft carrying 32 people crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State, after losing contact with air traffic controllers, Qazinform News Agency reports.
According to Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, the aircraft disappeared from radar at about 09:13 am local time on October 5, and attempts to establish radio communication were unsuccessful. The plane disappeared while en route from Benin to Lagos
Later it was confirmed that the aircraft had crashed and that the wreckage had been located.
“Preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board. The wreckage has been located and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” Keyamo said in a statement.
Nigeria's aviation minister also said that military aircraft operations fall outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and the Civil Aviation Authority but pledged full cooperation and assistance to the military in the rescue effort.
INFORMATION ON CRASH OF A MILITARY AIRCRAFT 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, enroute Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours earlier today. All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive. Subsequently information however confirmed that the military aircraft has crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State. The wreckage has been located and search and rescue operations are ongoing. Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board. Whilst the control and regulation of military aircraft are completely outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation, and Civil Aviation Authority, I have just spoken to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and pledged our total cooperation and assistance in the search and rescue efforts ongoing. Further information on this unfortunate incident will be made available subsequently.
— Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK) (@fkeyamo) October 5, 2026
President Bola Tinubu extended his condolences to the families of 25 passengers and 7 crew members and ordered a thorough investigation into the tragic incident.
“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," he said.
Earlier, it was reported that a military aircraft crashed in Russia's Far East, killing six crew members.