A Nigerian military aircraft carrying 32 people has crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, after air traffic controllers lost contact with it while it was travelling from Benin to Lagos.
The aircraft, identified by the Nigerian Air Force as an ATR-42, was on a routine mission when the incident occurred on Monday, October 5, 2026.
The Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, Festus Keyamo, said the aircraft bore tail number NGR 931, according to him, air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at approximately 9:13 a.m. local time.
Attempts to re-establish radio communication were unsuccessful before authorities received confirmation that the aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda.
The wreckage was subsequently located in a swampy area near the coastal community. The Nigerian Air Force said it had activated an immediate search-and -rescue operation in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies.
“The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred,” NAF spokesperson Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said.
Keyamo said preliminary information indicated that 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board. However, authorities had not confirmed the number of casualties or survivors at the time of reporting.
Local officials described the crash site as difficult to access. Maurice Oripelaye, chairman of Ilaje Local Government Area, said military equipment had been recovered from the scene and that the aircraft appeared to have been badly burnt.
Residents told the Associated Press that the aircraft came down near a river, with part of it reportedly sinking in the water. Some witnesses also said they saw clothing, shoes and what appeared to be body parts, although those accounts had not been independently verified by authorities.
The crash sparked anxiety in Igbokoda as security personnel and emergency responders moved to secure the area and support the recovery effort. Officials have not released the identities of those aboard, and no cause of the crash has been established.
Keyamo said the regulation and control of military aircraft fall outside the direct authority of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
He nevertheless said he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the ministry’s “total cooperation and assistance” to the military-led rescue operation.
The NAF said further information would be released as the search-and-rescue mission progresses. Investigators are expected to examine the wreckage, flight data and operational records to determine what caused the aircraft to lose contact and crash.
