Ondo state, Nigeria. Photo: Shutterstock A Nigerian military aircraft traveling from Benin to Lagos crashed Monday, October 5, in Ondo State, with the wreckage located near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, according to Nigeria's Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
Keyamo said in a statement that air traffic controllers had reported the disappearance of military aircraft NGR 931 at around 9:13 a.m. while it was en route to Lagos.
He said attempts to establish radio contact with the aircraft were unsuccessful before authorities received confirmation that it had crashed near the Naval Base in Igbokoda, Ondo State.
The wreckage has been located and search and rescue operations are underway, according to the minister.
Preliminary information indicates that 25 passengers and seven crew members were aboard the aircraft. Keyamo did not provide further details about their condition or confirm any fatalities.
Aviation authorities and emergency teams are continuing to respond to the incident. Keyamo said he had spoken with Nigeria's Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, and offered the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development's cooperation and assistance with the ongoing search and rescue effort.
The minister also stressed that the control and regulation of military aircraft fall outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
No cause of the crash has been announced. Details about what happened to the aircraft after it lost radio contact, as well as the condition of those on board, remain unclear while the rescue operation continues.
Further information is expected from Nigerian authorities as search and rescue teams work at the crash site.