ABUJA, Nigeria — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a three-day period of national mourning and ordered all national flags to fly at half-mast, following a catastrophic Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft crash in Ondo State that left no survivors.
Tripod Times reports that the crash involved a military ATR-42 aircraft (tail number NGR 931) carrying 25 passengers and 7 crew members on a flight from Benin City to Lagos, which went down near a naval base in Igbokoda on Monday morning.
The Fatal Flight
Radio contact was lost at 9:13 a.m., prompting the deployment of search and rescue helicopters that located the wreckage near the Igbokoda Naval Base. Despite coordinated response efforts, authorities confirmed all 32 people on board died. The aircraft was assigned to surveillance and maritime operations.
A Nation in Grief
President Tinubu mourned the loss as a devastating blow to the nation’s defense community, offering condolences through his spokesperson to the families and the military leadership. The full presidential statement can be found in the referenced documents. Victim identities are pending family notifications.
Investigation Launched
Tinubu ordered a thorough military investigation into the crash, while civilian aviation authorities pledged full cooperation with the military recovery and analysis efforts.
