Nigeria has been plunged into mourning after a military aircraft crashed into a swampy area in Ondo State, killing everyone on board.
The Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 was travelling from Benin City to Lagos on a routine mission on Monday, October 5, when air traffic controllers suddenly lost contact with the aircraft. Its wreckage was later discovered near a naval base in the Igbokoda area.
The Nigerian Air Force later confirmed that 25 people were aboard the aircraft — 20 passengers and five crew members — and there were no survivors. Most of those travelling on the plane were military personnel.
Earlier reports had suggested that as many as 32 people were on board, including 25 passengers and seven crew members. Authorities subsequently revised the number, creating some confusion in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy.
Witnesses near the crash site described hearing a powerful sound before the aircraft went down. Parts of the wreckage, clothing and other personal belongings were reportedly scattered around the swampy crash area as emergency teams and local residents joined recovery efforts.
The difficult terrain made access to the site challenging, with rescuers using available routes around the wetland area to reach the wreckage.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed sorrow over the loss of the military personnel and declared three days of national mourning. Flags were ordered to fly at half-mast in honor of those who died.
Tinubu also directed the Nigerian Air Force to carry out a thorough investigation into what caused the aircraft to crash.
The exact cause remains unknown, and officials have not publicly indicated whether mechanical failure, weather conditions or another factor contributed to the disaster.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves across Nigeria as families await further information and the country mourns the personnel lost during what was supposed to be a routine military flight.
Investigators are now expected to focus on the aircraft’s final moments in an effort to determine exactly what went wrong.
