…Aircraft disappeared from radio contact after taking off from Benin for Lagos before wreckage was found near Igbokoda naval base
MON OCT 05 2026-theGBJournal| A Nigerian military aircraft carrying 32 people has crashed in Ondo State, triggering a search and rescue operation as authorities race to establish the fate of those on board.
The aircraft, with 25 passengers and seven crew, was flying from Benin to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact with it at about 09:13 local time on Monday, Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo said.
The wreckage was later located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, in Ondo State, according to the minister.
The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed that the aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos and said search and rescue operations were under way in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency agencies.
There has been no official confirmation of deaths or survivors.
The uncertainty over the condition of the 32 people has made the rescue operation the immediate focus of the authorities.
Keyamo said air traffic controllers had been unable to raise the aircraft by radio after contact was lost.
“All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive,” he said.
He later confirmed that information received by authorities established that the aircraft had crashed close to the naval facility and that the wreckage had been located.
“Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board,” the minister said.
The minister said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the Ministry of Aviation’s full assistance to the military-led rescue effort.
The Nigerian Air Force said it was committed to ensuring the success of the operation and would release further details as they become available.
Early reports from Igbokoda had described an aircraft crash in swampy terrain and initially left the identity of the aircraft and number of occupants unclear.
Those details were subsequently clarified by the aviation minister and the Nigerian Air Force.
Mr Keyamo stressed that military aviation falls outside the regulatory authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
He nevertheless said his ministry would provide whatever assistance was required.
The Air Force is leading the immediate response, while other relevant agencies are supporting the operation.
The cause of the crash has not been established.
Authorities have yet to say whether there was an emergency before the aircraft disappeared from radio contact, how the aircraft came down or whether weather, mechanical failure or any other factor played a role.
For now, officials have urged caution as information from the crash site is assessed.
The Air Force said search and rescue operations were continuing in coordination with emergency response agencies.
The incident is Nigeria’s latest serious military aviation accident and comes as the country continues to rely heavily on military aircraft for a range of operational and logistical missions.
But officials have so far provided no indication that the crash was connected to combat operations.
The aircraft was described by the Air Force as being on a routine mission.
Mr Keyamo said further information would be released as it becomes available.
“Further information on this unfortunate incident will be made available subsequently,” he said.
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