By our reporter 5.10.2026
A Nigerian military ATR-42 aircraft carrying 25 passengers and seven crew members has crashed near a naval base in Igbokoda Ondo State.
According to minister of aviation Mr. Festus Keyamo, air controllers lost contact with the aircraft at about 8.13 am Monday while it was travelling from Benin City to Lagos and were unable to re-establish communication before its disappearance was reported.
“I regret to inform the general public that air traffic controllers have informed me of the disappearance of a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, en route from Lagos to Benin, at 0913 hours earlier today.
“All efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive,” Mr Keyamo said on X on Monday.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) also confirmed in a statement that a search-and-rescue operation has begun following the aircraft’s crash.
“The aircraft was on a routine mission from Benin to Lagos when the accident occurred,” NAF spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said. “Search and rescue operations, in coordination with relevant authorities and emergency response agencies, are currently ongoing.”
NAF aircraft falls out of the sky in Ondo State.