A Nigerian military aircraft carrying 32 people crashed on Monday while flying from Benin City to Lagos, killing everyone on board. President Bola Tinubu confirmed that there were no survivors and ordered the Nigerian Air Force to immediately investigate the cause of the crash. The victims included 25 passengers and seven crew members, making the incident one of Nigeria’s deadliest air disasters in recent years. The aircraft, an Air Force ATR-42, was reportedly on a routine mission when it went down.

Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo said air traffic controllers lost contact with the aircraft at around 9 am on Monday. The plane was travelling towards Lagos when communication was lost, prompting authorities to begin a search operation. The wreckage was later located near the coastal town of Igbokoda, close to a naval base. The Nigerian Air Force launched search and rescue efforts after the aircraft was reported missing, with teams deployed to locate the plane and those on board.

Details emerging from the crash site indicated that the aircraft came down near a river, with part of the wreckage reportedly sinking into the water. Local residents described hearing a loud sound before discovering debris in the area. A resident told local media that people heard what sounded like a thunderclap shortly before finding wreckage. Body parts, clothes and shoes were reportedly found around the crash site, underscoring the severity of the impact.

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The crash has prompted an immediate investigation into what caused the military aircraft to go down. President Tinubu directed the Nigerian Air Force to conduct a thorough probe, while authorities continued operations at the crash site. Officials have not yet established the cause of the accident, and the circumstances leading to the loss of contact remain under investigation. The aircraft’s routine mission and the events immediately before the crash will form part of the inquiry.

The accident comes as Nigeria continues to rely on military aircraft for a range of operational and transport missions. In this case, the flight was travelling between Benin City and Lagos when contact was lost, before the wreckage was found near Igbokoda. The presence of a naval base near the crash location aided authorities in identifying the area where the aircraft had come down. Search teams and other personnel were deployed as authorities worked to secure the site and recover evidence.

With all 32 people on board confirmed dead, the crash has become one of the most serious aviation accidents involving Nigeria’s military in recent years. President Tinubu expressed condolences to the victims and their families while directing authorities to establish what went wrong. Investigators will now examine the aircraft, flight data and other available evidence to determine the circumstances of the crash. Further findings from the Nigerian Air Force investigation are expected to shed light on the cause of the accident.

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