The Federal Government has confirmed that 32 people were aboard a military aircraft that crashed in the Igbokoda area of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, said the aircraft, with registration number NGR 931, disappeared while travelling from Benin to Lagos at about 9:13am.
Keyamo said air traffic controllers raised the alarm after attempts to establish radio contact with the aircraft failed.
He disclosed that subsequent information confirmed that the aircraft had crashed close to the Naval Base in Igbokoda, with the wreckage located in the area.
According to the minister, 25 passengers and seven crew members were on board the aircraft.
“Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and seven crew members on board,” Keyamo said.
He added that search and rescue operations were ongoing.
The development came after residents of Igbokoda reported hearing a loud sound from a swampy area within the creek, where the aircraft was believed to have crashed.
A local source said residents were unable to immediately reach the crash site because of the difficult terrain.
“It happened this morning. We heard a very loud sound in the area where the incident occurred, but we could not get there because the place is a swampy area inside the creek; we are just looking at it from afar,” the source said.
The source said security personnel, including the police and military, subsequently arrived at the area to commence rescue efforts.
The Ondo State Police Command had earlier confirmed the aircraft crash and said investigations were underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, urged residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities to remain calm and avoid circulating unverified information.
“The Ondo State Police Command confirms the reported aircraft crash in the Igbokoda axis of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday, 5th October 2026. Details surrounding the incident are still emerging, as efforts to establish the full circumstances continue,” Jimoh said.
However, the minister clarified that the control and regulation of military aircraft are outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
He 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 ongoing search and rescue operation.
“Further information on this unfortunate incident will be made available subsequently,” Keyamo added.
The identities and condition of those on board had yet to be officially disclosed as rescue operations continued.
