Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has declared three days of national mourning after a military aircraft crashed in southern Ondo State, killing 32 people.
The plane was on a routine mission from Benin City to Lagos when it came down near a naval base on Monday morning.
A resident told the BBC that the wreckage lay near a swamp, with clothes and shoes strewn about and smoke still visible at the site.
Tinubu offered condolences for the 25 passengers and seven crew members on board and ordered a full investigation.
He also directed that national flags be flown at half‑mast across the country as a mark of respect for the dead.
'This is a painful moment for our Armed Forces and for the entire nation,' Tinubu said.
'Our Air Force personnel put their lives on the line every day to secure Nigeria. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten,' he added.
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo earlier said he had been informed of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, en route Lagos from Benin at 0913 hours. Keyamo noted attempts to locate the plane on radio failed, confirming later it had crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda, Ondo state, and that rescuers were working on the scene.
The aircraft, an ATR‑42, is rated to carry between 30 and 50 passengers. Authorities say the identities of those who died will be released once families are informed.
The Nigerian Air Force, which plays a key role in security operations across the country, is now investigating the cause of the crash to prevent similar incidents in the future.
This crash ranks among the deadliest air disasters in Nigeria in recent years, following an army air crash in Kaduna in May 2021 and another in Abuja in February of the same year.
