Thirty-two people are believed to have died after a Nigerian military ATR-42 aircraft crashed in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday, sources told SaharaReporters.
The aircraft, operated by the Nigerian military, went down near the naval base in Igbokoda while traveling from Benin to Lagos.
A source told SaharaReporters that all 32 people on board are believed to have died. The reported toll corresponds with information from the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who said there were 25 passengers and seven crew members aboard the aircraft.
In a statement posted on his official X account, Keyamo said air traffic controllers informed him the military aircraft, registration NGR 931, had disappeared from radar. The aircraft was last in communication at about 9:13 a.m., and efforts to raise it by radio failed.
Subsequent information indicated the aircraft had crashed close to the naval base in Igbokoda. “The wreckage has been located and search and rescue operations are ongoing,” Keyamo said. He added that the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority have no regulatory control over military aircraft, and that he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, to offer cooperation and assistance.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) confirmed an ATR-42 aircraft had gone down in the Igbokoda area while on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos. In a statement, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said the force immediately commenced search and rescue operations and was working with relevant authorities and emergency-response agencies.
Earlier reports from residents described the aircraft as a helicopter, but the NAF later clarified it was an ATR-42. The cause of the crash remained unclear as of filing.
Igbokoda is a riverine community and commercial hub in Ilaje, one of Ondo State’s oil-producing areas. The community and surrounding areas are associated with oil and gas operations, where aviation is frequently used for logistics.
