The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard a military aircraft that crashed near Igbokoda in Ondo State on Monday.
Keyamo disclosed this in a statement on his X handle while providing an update on the incident.
He said air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft, with tail number NGR 931, at about 9:13 a.m. while it was en route from Lagos to Benin, Edo State.
According to the minister, efforts to establish radio contact with the aircraft were unsuccessful before information later confirmed that it had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Keyamo said the wreckage had been located and search and rescue operations were ongoing.
He added that he had spoken with the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and pledged the Ministry of Aviation’s cooperation and assistance in the rescue efforts.
The minister noted that the regulation and control of military aircraft are outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Police Command said details of the incident were still emerging and urged residents to remain calm.
The command’s spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, particularly advised residents of Igbokoda and neighbouring communities against circulating unverified information.