32 aboard as Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 crashes in Ondo; wreckage found, rescue underway

A Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying 32 people crashed in southwestern Nigeria on Monday, in what is shaping up as one of the country's worst military aviation accidents in recent years. The aircraft, an ATR-42 with tail number NGR 931, was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when air traffic controllers lost contact at about 9:13 a.m. local time. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo confirmed the crash, saying repeated attempts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive before information confirmed it had gone down close to the naval base at Igbokoda in Ondo State, where the wreckage has since been located. Preliminary information indicated 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board. The Nigerian Air Force confirmed ownership of the aircraft and said it had activated an immediate search-and-rescue operation. Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the NAF's director of public relations and information, said the ATR-42 was on a routine mission when the accident occurred on October 5, and that rescue operations were being conducted in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies. There was no immediate official confirmation of casualties or survivors. Residents told local media the crash occurred in swampy terrain opposite the naval base. Keyamo said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the aviation ministry's full cooperation in the rescue effort, while clarifying that military aircraft fall outside the regulatory control of the ministry and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority. The disaster is likely to intensify scrutiny of flight safety and operational readiness in Nigeria's armed forces as investigators begin work on the cause. The NAF said further details would be communicated in due course. Military aviation watchers note that the ATR-42 is a workhorse transport aircraft, and a crash on a routine daylight flight with no distress call has raised questions about maintenance and operational tempo. The Nigerian Air Force has faced several fatal accidents in recent years, each followed by promises of reform.